


Edge of Yesterday

by Meynara



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Biting, Desperation, F/M, Knotting, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Multi, Platonic blowjob, Role Reversal, Safewords, Team as Family, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2018-06-17
Packaged: 2019-05-24 13:41:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14955731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meynara/pseuds/Meynara
Summary: In the universe, there were multiple species with more than one way to determine one’s sex. There was a more typical binary approach, often divided into male and female. Then there were those who were divided further into alpha, beta, and omega dynamics. In Galra society, it’s shameful to be an Omega.So, naturally, the Prince, while not being fully Galra, couldn’t be anything other than an Alpha, or perhaps a Beta. However, now that he has been exiled from the Empire, cast away from those he considered friends, Lotor is set to learn much about how other societies (mostly human) treat those different from themselves…...and perhaps, learn more about himself as well in the process.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Voltron Kink Bang](https://voltronkinkbang.tumblr.com/) over on tumblr.

The halls of the Castle of Lions were rather quiet as Lotor ambled along. He somewhat knew the layout of the ship by now, knew it well enough that he could go where he wished and he didn’t get lost more often than he did now. Of course, with the bounty on his head, the fact that even his own father had turned against him, the others hadn’t done more than keep a cursory eye on him, and by now it had been a couple of weeks. He wasn’t trusted by any means, but...he wasn’t the enemy, either. There was a wary sort of truce between them and even he was surprised at how quickly it had been before it happened.

But now...now he was left unattended. That morning at breakfast, three of the four paladins in attendance had quickly begged off, eating quickly before going their separate ways, while Allura had merely given him the briefest of nods, heading off with Coran. There had been no sign of Shiro, but it wasn’t uncommon for the Black Paladin to sometimes be missing from a meal, especially if he was lost in his thoughts of going through tactical maneuvers he wished to teach the others, or other training exercises, or even just running and punching at bags. (Something Lotor never thought he’d understand the appeal of, if he was completely honest with himself, which he was.)

Being at loose ends, Lotor walked slowly, his boots making a soft clacking sound as he passed. He wasn’t exactly  _ trying  _ to be quiet, it just happened in those moments when he was left to himself, when he didn’t have to put on a mask, to appear confident and suave and everything that he never felt that he could be. He’d already eaten, he didn’t want to work himself sweaty, and with everyone busy...he really had no idea of what to do. Before he could really think about his options, slim as they seemed for the time being, an odd sound came to his ears. If he didn’t know better...he would think it was  **moaning** of some sort.

Slowing his pace down, he tilted his head to the side, trying to ascertain where the sounds were coming from before he saw what was likely the last thing he would have expected to see that morning. The hallway he’d been walking down ended in a common room -- one that he hadn’t seen occupied before, as if the others had come to an unspoken agreement that it wasn’t to be used.

Now he could see why.

Whereas before, the common room had only had what appeared to be an open area with a long couch (or was it three couches?) in the shape of an angly sort of ‘U’, now there were blankets and pillows and what appeared to be clothing in the open area, making what seemed to be a cosy little nest. And in the nest were two men -- one Lotor had seen but an hour ago, the other having been absent for breakfast. Both were completely and utterly nude, and if Lotor’s eyes were seeing correctly, it appeared that the moaning sounds he had been hearing were coming from none other than Shiro, who had his ass up in the air, looking for all the world like he was begging to be fucked.

And Hunk? Hunk seemed more than willing to give Shiro just what he wanted, based on the way he was holding onto the older man, his hands grasping harshly onto the Black Paladin’s hips as he pushed himself in and out, in and out, the sound of skin hitting skin coming to Lotor’s ears as if on a delay, his eyes unable to tear away as he continued to watch, an odd sort of warmth starting to uncurl within him as his mouth was oddly dry. It took another long moment before the smells from the pair hit his nostrils, and that’s when it hit him.

_ ‘The Black Paladin...he’s in heat.’ _

Before he could see, hear, or smell anything more, he quickly turned to go back the way he came, seeking out his own quarters, taking deep breaths of (relatively) fresh air, trying to keep himself from being aroused at the sight. He was a Beta, he couldn’t go into heat, or into rut, not like what he’d clearly just seen, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still feel something residual from the intimate scene he had just walked in on.

No wonder everyone else had been so quick to leave -- they had known what was going on, but what confused him was… Humans, they had natures like Galra? That was entirely new information to him, something he would have liked to have known before.

But still, the image was burned clearly into his mind, of Hunk taking Shiro, over and over and over again, holding on tightly and claiming the older man, knotting him as he cried out, caressing his Omega…

...and the pang of jealousy, of lonliness that hit as he wished he could be Hunk’s Omega. That made no sense, after all. He was a Beta, he was beyond being used like that, beyond being forced into doing things because his body wanted them.

That’s what he told himself, at least, even as his own length came out of its sheath, fleshy barbs catching against the material of his clothing before he headed for the shower.

He needed one to get those images, those thoughts and desires out of his mind before they drove him crazy.

 

* * *

 

There weren’t many things in this life that brought Hunk such joy as knowing that he was able to bring relief to one of his closest friends in what was one of the most stressful times he could ever have. Even after all the time they’d spent in space, there was never a way to know for certain when Shiro would go into heat -- so even though typically it was Keith who helped the Omega through his cycle, that wasn’t always possible.

Especially not with Keith being gone as often as not on missions with the Blade of Marmora.

Another Alpha likely would feel something akin to rejection or even irritation about the fact that he wasn’t the first choice -- but not Hunk. His first priority was always Shiro’s comfort. Always. Luck had it that, at least, out of the five of them there was only one Omega, so the others always took turns in making sure Shiro was comfortable and had what he needed, when he needed it.

The fact that that morning was Hunk’s assigned time with him only helped matters as far as he was concerned. Lance and Pidge needed some time to themselves away from Hunk and Shiro, the scents the pair gave off being just a little bit overwhelming for them both, and if that was what Hunk could to do take care of them as well? Well, that was perfect.

It really didn’t hurt matters that the sounds Shiro made beneath him were utterly delightful, muscles rippling beneath him with each thrust as Shiro sounded almost as if he were mewling, begging without begging, pressing himself back against Hunk even though he really didn’t need to do so.

Of course, while Hunk was wrapped up in what the two of them were doing, he wasn’t as out of it as Shiro was -- though that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, taking into account that they weren’t alone. Nothing would stop Hunk now, he was going to bring Shiro to the completion he so desperately needed, but it didn’t stop him from smelling as someone drew closer and closer -- a rather unassuming scent, all things considered, nothing like Lance or Pidge, which told Hunk right there just who it was.

Why Lotor was coming near was something that piqued Hunk’s curiosity, but then the approaching footsteps stopped -- followed by Lotor’s scent becoming so, so much stronger, almost  **_intoxicating_ ** to the Alpha.

It was enough, just enough, that it made him pause a moment before the scent fled -- along with its owner, leaving Hunk alone with Shiro once more who, for the moment at least, didn’t seem to have been aware of their temporary audience…

...though he did seem to be a bit more needy. Fingers digging into the flesh of Shiro’s hips, his thrusting came harder and harder until finally his knot began to form. Here was where it got tricky for Hunk, where he had to be sure to be in full control of himself.

He could not knot Shiro -- while they were all there for one another, while they were all a pack, Shiro was not his mate, and knotting...was reserved for mating. So as the knot inflated, he was careful to keep it outside of the Omega keening beneath him until he was completely and utterly spent -- physically, at least.

Had no one really told Lotor what was going on? And...why had his scent grown so much stronger out of nowhere?

 

* * *

 

Lunchtime came and went, but no one in the castle saw Lotor emerge from his quarters. Most of the inhabitants didn’t think anything of it, but one Alpha did, making sure to grab a plate of food and a glass of water before heading to where the half Galra resided, in a separate wing from where the paladins and Alteans themselves slept. He’d been offered his choice of rooms, but at the time had insisted on maintaining a distance of some sort.

This was probably a good thing, Hunk mused as he lifted a foot to gently tap against the door. “Lotor…? You in there?” His voice sounded friendly, at least, if slightly strained. Before he could tap again, the door opened and--

“Lotor, what are you doing in here? Are you alright?” Now the Alpha in Hunk was rising to the surface, worried as a strong, distinctly  **Omega** scent hit his nostrils. That in and of itself was confusing, given Lotor had been quick to assure the others that he was, in fact, a Beta. Looking around in the room, however, there was nowhere for another person to hide and in fact, it looked as if Lotor himself was hiding under the blanket on his bed. Taking a moment to set the food and water down, there was only a moment of hesitation before a large hand reached over to pull the blanket away, revealing Lotor, the scent even stronger as he remained curled into a ball.

“...go away, Yellow Paladin, I’m not in need of any assistance today, thank you.” The words were ground out, only just intelligible as the Galra quickly covered his head with the pillow. “Go help the Black Paladin, he needs you more.” The words were quick, but honest -- or as honest as one could trust Lotor to be. Given he wasn’t honest about his own nature, that was worrying in and of itself.

Still, Hunk hadn’t come all this way to talk to a man hiding his face in a pillow, so he reached over and plucked the pillow away, startling the exiled Prince. “Shiro will be fine without me for a while. Lance and Pidge are taking care of him, and Keith will be back from his mission soon enough. Care to explain why you told us you were a Beta?”

Lotor took in a deep breath, silent for a moment before pushing  himself up to a sitting position, a scowl on his face. “Because I am? What are you on about now? What else could I possibly be?” There was a tremor in his voice, almost as if he feared the answer even as he schooled his face to look as calm as usual. “I do apologize if I interrupted your...whatever that was you were doing, but I wasn’t made aware of the time before I began my walk this morning. It’s hardly as if I meant to find you doing... _ that _ .”

Crossing his arms, Hunk leaned against the wall, remaining near the door but not taking his eyes off of Lotor for a moment. “Whenever Shiro goes into Heat, that’s where we take him, where he tends to make his nest. He’s the only Omega among us Paladins, so it seemed to be a practical solution, especially since the rest of us move in and out, taking care of him and ourselves. Normally, Keith takes the brunt of Shiro’s heats as his mate but...well, with how the circumstances are now, there isn’t always enough warning before it hits to get Keith back in time. I was a bit focused on getting to Shiro, I had hoped that one of the others would explain before...well, before what happened, happened. However, that doesn’t explain why your scent has changed so much. Are you completely certain you’re a Beta? Because you--”

“--smell like an Omega, I know…” Lotor’s voice softened slightly, his hands reaching for another pillow to shove in front of his face. “When I was young, I thought -- thought I might end up being an Omega, but then...I never went through heat. Never. So I just assumed I was a Beta, my Father and doctors said I was a Beta, so I thought surely they would know. But…” There was a pause as Lotor looked up at the Paladin, as if hearing something unexpected. “What do you mean by...mate? Surely this Keith isn’t stronger than the Black Paladin.”

“Strength doesn’t have anything to do with being mates,” Hunk frowned. “Why would you think that? Mates just...are. They strengthen one another, lift each other up, compliment one another, but...that doesn’t mean Keith is stronger than Shiro, or the other way around. They just, they just  **are** .” This time, it was Hunk’s turn to pause before continuing. “It’s hard to explain, but we just -- we just know when we find our mates. Maybe not instantly, but there’s a certain draw, a certain pull between two who are mated. Shiro and Keith, they had that pull and when they mated, they knew. Same thing with Lance and Pidge. Is it -- are Galra that different despite the biological similarities?”

“That we are...I think.” There was a note of confusion, Lotor’s head lifting enough away from the pillow that Hunk could clearly see his face, finally. “Typically matings are merely...the strongest Alphas choosing an Omega to keep. Speaking of...If your leader is an Omega...how does that, I mean, clearly he’s capable but how did you just...let him lead?”

“Why  _ wouldn’t  _ we? He’s the best choice out of all of us, and even if he wasn’t, the Black Lion chose him -- not once, but twice now. She thinks he can lead us, and that’s all that should matter.” Hunk frowned, head tilting slightly as he took in the Prince, who looked more than a little  _ disheveled  _ now that he took the time to notice. “While many places might consider it offensive to put an Omega in charge, we certainly don’t have that same view. Even on Earth, there are some Omegas who managed to work up to leadership positions. It comes more naturally to Alphas, often, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for an Omega. What, is that how the Galra work?” His voice was meant to be gentle, teasing even, but the reaction he got from Lotor was anything but.

“It’s not that simple. Our royalty, for generations, has been nothing but Alphas. In our culture, Omegas are literally the lowest class. Fit for nothing but breeding and pleasure.” The words were spat out as Lotor pulled the pillow closer to him once more. “Betas are the common folk, while Alphas are the ruling class. A Beta can rise to Alpha status even without the biological component, but an Omega cannot do anything else but be an Omega. My mother is Altean, they don’t have the same biological components as Galra do, but my father is certainly an Alpha, so the thought I would be anything but is  _ appalling _ .”

“Being an Omega is nothing different from being male or female, Lotor,” the Paladin was starting to see what was going on, whether or not Lotor realized it, and the Alpha in him reacted accordingly. “We help Shiro when his heat comes, but that aside he’s the same as the rest of us. When I go into rut? They help me as well, though I don’t need nearly as much assistance. Shiro isn’t someone to be breeded repeatedly, and none of us would ask that of him even if he was. It’s not something he has control over, so why should that affect how anyone perceives him?”

“That’s exactly why it should affect how he’s seen! It’s part of who he is, and I don’t suppose I can expect you to understand that but, that’s just how the universe works. There are things expected of one of my station, and being an Omega just, isn’t one of those things.” Irritation was evident in his voice, arms tightening against the pillow. "I'm a Prince, I can't be  _ submissive  _ to  **anyone** , I must be the dominant force in the room, regardless of what else might be happening."   
  
"Lotor,  _ Lotor _ ," Hunk sighed, shaking his head once again as he reached up with a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "We don't give a crap if you're a Prince or a pauper, we care about what you can or can't do, what you want to do or what you want to avoid. Whether you're submissive or not has nothing to do with it. And honestly? Even if you're an Omega, that doesn't make you a submissive individual. I mean, look at Shiro. He's not that submissive aside from when he's in heat. He's...well, I can't speak for when he's in the bedroom, but he's our leader for a reason. He's not a mat to be walked all over. And neither are you, whether you're a Beta or an Omega. Look, Kolivan will be here soon, and between him and Coran, I'm sure we can figure out what's going on, yeah?"   
  
Lotor stiffened where he sat, his back going ramrod straight. "Why do we need to 'figure out' anything? I'm a Beta, that's all there is to it. I certainly don't need help from the Blades' leader."   
  
"Because he would know what's going on from a more Galra perspective," there was a beat before the Paladin moved to sit beside Lotor, careful not to be too close, to touch. "And Coran is the closest thing to a doctor out of all of us. I just -- I think it would be best if we were certain. Because my nose is rarely wrong, human or not, and right now? It's screaming 'Omega' at me." There was a little more to it than that, and Hunk looked as if he wanted to say something, but instead he waited in silence, waited for Lotor to speak once more.   
  
"...if only to make you realize that you're wrong, then fine. Let me have a moment to clean myself and I will meet you in the medical bay." The half Galra was careful, almost pointedly making sure to keep from touching the human as he stood, moving to get away from the other. "I'm sure there was just a fluke. Bodies can have flukes, they have flukes all the time." He cleared his throat before looking away from Hunk. "If you'll excuse me...?"   
  
"Alright, alright, I'll go and explain what's going on to Coran," Hunk smiled, pushing himself up to stand and heading for the door. "If you take too long, I'll be sure to come find you, so don't take too long, okay?" He tried his best to sound the opposite of threatening but if Lotor's face was anything to go by, he failed miserably. Letting out a soft sigh, he moved and exited through the door, going into the hall, searching for Coran.

* * *

Thirty doboshes later found Lotor walking as slowly as possible towards the medbay, his feet not quite dragging but he certainly appeared as if he would rather be anywhere else but where he was right then. He was close enough that he could hear voices talking -- talking about him -- and he fought the urge to turn and run back to his own quarters. He was a damn Prince, for crying out loud, he wasn't a terrified child! Still, if nothing else, the voices at least sounded calm and not angry -- so that was something to be glad for.   
  
Taking a deep, deep breath, he took the final steps necessary before entering the medbay proper, footsteps light and head held high, trying to exude an air of confidence an indifference. However, his current audience seemed rather indifferent to how he appeared. Coran and Kolivan were talking in hushed tones while Hunk smiled, trying to appear somewhat reassuring.   
  
The conversation, light as it was, stopped as Kolivan lifted his head, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air. That was all it took for all eyes to be on Lotor, who's face pulled into a scowl. "Did I use too much soap for your liking?" His voice was bitter, arms crossing tightly across his chest as he moved closer to the three.   
  
Carefully, Coran looked from Kolivan, to Hunk, then finally to Lotor before frowning. "I can't really say, given I don't smell things as well as the three of you do, but let's see what we can find out, shall we?" The frown on the Altean's face was quickly replaced with what looked to be an attempt at a reassuring smile, gesturing towards something that looked like a combination between a table and a bed. It looked too comfortable to be a table, but not comfortable enough to be a proper bed.    
  
Still, just this once, Lotor wouldn't argue. Head still held high, nose even up in the air, he moved to sit on the table as Coran moved about the room, seemingly preparing for the test that would need to be run. (In truth, they were more than prepared, but if acting unprepared would help, Coran was more than ready to do so. He had nothing to lose, after all.) As Coran perpared, the two Alphas moved to the side, speaking quietly as the Altean and half Galra did what they needed to do.   
  
"We'll just need a sample of your scent, the fluids that come out rather, so I'm just going to need to rub this up against your scent glands and run it through the machine, does that sound alright?" He found what he needed before turning to Lotor, only now realizing that his clothing would be in the way. "If you could pull your attire down a little, please?”   
  
The scowl on Lotor's face deepened, a long moment of hesitation as Coran stood, waiting patiently before the exiled Prince. "This is pointless, I'm telling you," he grumbled before hooking his fingers beneath the fabric at his neck and tugging it downward. What it revealed, however, was anything but.   
  
Scratches covered the small locations where his scent glands rested, coloring the skin blue and looking raw. Coran tensed but did what he needed to do, taking a swab and getting a sample before stepping back and putting it into the machine. The moment that was done, however, he began to speak once more. "You know, normally people don't scratch at themselves like that without good reason. Why were you trying to claw your scent glands out, Lotor?"

"Because obviously, they are malfunctioning," Lotor growled, blissfully unaware of the fact that both Alphas were looking straight at him. "I thought if they were damaged, they would cease this needless conversation and I could go back to hiding in my quarters."   
  
There was something that sounded suspiciously like a snort from Kolivan, but by the time Lotor looked over at him, his face was as expressionless as ever. "Lotor, I'm not sure how much you learned before, but scent glands will only produce more if you claw at them. You made your 'malfunction' even worse by doing that." There was a pause before, "Were you on any suppressants before you left the Empire? Anything at all that might have made you think you were something other than what you are?"   
  
"I'm a Beta, and no. I had vitamins I took from a young age, but that was it. Nothing else." Shaking his head, Lotor reached up to pull his hair over his shoulders, effectively putting another layer over his neck, over the glands that rested there, as if trying to muffle the scent further.   
  
"I take it you haven't been taking those vitamins since you got here a few weeks ago, then?" Coran asked as the machine dinged, giving the answer they were all waiting for -- but not calling it out just yet, waiting to see where the conversation went.   
  
"Of course not, I wouldn't expect that you would have the vitamins I was taking prior to my arrival, and I've been managing well enough without them until now. Surely any well trained medical professional would explain what I was taking to me, correct?" Lotor's eyes bored into Coran, as if daring the man to suggest otherwise.   
  
"Typically, I would expect they would. However...your father is a rather formidable individual," Kolivan interrupted before Coran could speak once more. "Even the best of doctors would likely bow before his wishes. If his son was truly an Omega, then he'd do everything in his power to ensure that you never presented as such, and if that meant forcing a doctor to his will...?"   
  
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with being an Omega," Hunk chimed in, repeating the earlier statement. "It's just something that's important to know, for yourself and for those around you. And if your father honestly was like that? Then...well, that's something that happened and something that you'll have to work on yourself. But, say that he was on suppressants this whole time, what would that mean for him?" The Paladin's gaze moved to Kolivan and Coran, a frown on his face.   
  
"Then it's very likely that his first heat, which has been held off, is coming quickly. Who knows how bad it will be, how intense." Kolivan took a breath before looking away. "My guess is probably two, three days at the most and he'll be thrown into the deep end. He'll need someone to help him through it, someone who won't take advantage, but do we have anyone who fits that description?"   
  
"Wait, wait, stop, I'm still saying I'm not an Omega, I'm not -- I'm not going into heat!"   
  
"I'm afraid they're right, Lotor, you are most certainly an Omega at the least, and suppressants only postpone the inevitable. And how many heats have you missed by this point in your life...?" Coran sounded worried even as he gave the news they'd all known was true even as Lotor denied it.   
  
He was an Omega.   
  
He was well and truly screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Artwork for this chapter provided by [shitlorddio-smut!](https://shitlorddio-smut.tumblr.com/post/174978200282/last-piece-for-the-voltronkinkbang-event-3)


	2. Chapter 2

“Excuse me, I need to go.” Lotor’s voice was strained as he got off of the examination table, boots clacking loudly as he left, none of the others jumping up to stop him. If anything, he was glad for that as he turned and moved down the hallway, moving back towards his own quarters. He didn’t need their looks of pity. He didn’t need them looking down on him, he didn’t need any of that. All he needed was time to himself.

Time that was quickly running out, if what they had said was true.

So quick was he to get lost in his own thoughts, he wasn’t quick enough to avoid the hand grasping his arm -- the grasp gentle, but still unexpected enough that Lotor stopped in his tracks, pulling himself back and turning to see who had dared to stop him, his gaze looking down into a pair of warm brown eyes.

“If you would be so kind as to let go, I have things to do.” He tugged at his arm, trying to get away from Hunk, but the human was a bit more determined than he was, even with such a cheerful expression on his face.

“I know you do. I was going to join you, I figured you might could use an ear to talk to,” the Paladin’s grasp didn’t loosen, but he did step just a little closer, not close enough that their bodies were pressed together or anything, but enough so that Lotor’s arm wasn’t at an awkward angle anymore. “No one here is going to think any differently of you because you’re an Omega. Believe me. I’m sure people will still hate you or love you or be confused as hell about you, but...being what you’re already genetically supposed to be isn’t going to change that.”

“Thank you, that’s so reassuring,” the Galra rolled his eyes, still tugging his arm, wanting freedom. “Are we done yet?”

“Nowhere near. I was going to go grab a bite to eat, a snack, if you’d like to join me?” He didn’t even wait for assent before physically pulling and dragging Lotor along behind him. Hunk knew the schedule of the castle and her inhabitants quite well by now -- excepting Lotor -- thus was certainly reassured that no one else would be in there. Especially not with Shiro going through the tail end of his heat now. “What do you know about when an Omega goes into heat, by the way? Like, if you didn’t know you yourself were one…?”

“I know they can’t control themselves and want to fuck everything in sight, which is why I’m going to my quarters and I’m going to lock myself in there until it’s over.” Finally,  _ finally  _ Lotor managed to pull his arm away, but by then they were already in the kitchen. Seeing no one else in the large space, he merely crossed his arms, watching Hunk carefully. “I rather think it’s not possible for me to find a willing partner to stay with me that entire time, and even if I could, I don’t think I would want to be with anyone who wants to be with me, not for that.”

“You’d be surprised,” Hunk laughed softly, even as he gathered various things they had found over their travels, cleaning off some sort of vegetable and beginning to chop it up, preparing a dish that seemed to be more than just a snack. “I don’t know what you know about us, so if you’d let me explain a little, I might can clear that up -- and clear up what I know of when Omegas go into heat, having stayed with Shiro more than a few times now.” When nothing but silence met his ears, he continued, trusting that Lotor had remained (which, he in fact, had). “Now, when an Omega goes into heat, it isn’t all at once like you might think. At first, they can tell what’s happening, they can somewhat feel themselves losing control. Well, control isn’t the best way to put it, it’s more they haven’t got the same inhibitions as they would typically. For a human, it’s similar to getting intoxicated on alcohol. Not that any of us really know that, Shiro’s the only one of us that was legal before we left. So, more or less, they retain some semblance of control, but their bodies...well, like how we need food to live, in that state, they need stimulation to live, or their bodies think they do anyway. Typically, a first heat is something that is taken care of on their own, with toys of some sort, but with how it sounds...that won’t be enough for you, not with having put it off so long.”

“So, I still lose control in some regards -- I can decide how I get fucked, but not who.”

“I never said that,” the knife hit the chopping block a bit harder than it should have, Hunk quickly turning around to look at the exiled Prince. “You have more control than you think. Not a single one of us here will force themselves upon you, no matter what you might think of us. If you said that there was someone you didn’t want assisting you, then we’d respect that. We’re humans, not morally bankrupt assholes.” The Paladin’s voice was rough, his fist clenching around the handle of the knife, which still rested against the chopping block. “I know Galra are different, but with humans -- Omegas are  _ cherished _ . Their choice is respected by all. Even if ultimately you do say you want to tough it out on your own, that’s what we’ll let you do. I’m trying to convince you that that’s the wrong choice to make, but it’s still your choice. We...we saw firsthand how bad it could be with Shiro when he returned to us. Once he’s past his own heat, in the next...probably twelve doboshes, he can tell you all about that. I’m telling you this so you can make an educated choice.”

“...I thought it had only just started?” Lotor sounded confused, curious even, but still kept his face mostly calm. “It wasn’t until today that people were...well, less present than usual.”

“That’s because, just before the end, it...ramps up, I guess you’d say. It wasn’t tiring us out so much before, but now he’s especially needy, he needs all the affection he can get with his mate gone. And if the pack can provide, then we will provide in Keith’s absence.”

“What are you on about, humans aren’t a pack species, are they?”

“They can be. It often depends on the humans in question. We -- the Paladins -- we’re rather close all things considered. We can’t go home, there aren’t many others out here, so we’re...we’re all we have. We’re like a family, but not, so...all things considered, we just settled on ‘pack’ for the word for it. But when Shiro goes into heat, since he’s the only Omega, we all do what we can to help. Often it’s just Keith in there with him, the rest of us supporting him, but Keith’s part of the Blades, as I’m sure you know. So...this time, I had to step in, as did Lance and Pidge. But I also make the food, because having that much sex will wear anyone out.” By now, Hunk was at least a bit calmer, his voice closer to normal as he chopped up more  vegetables. “Food goo would do the trick in a pinch, but I’d rather make sure the Omega, or now Omegas, have something a bit better. And they do the same for me when I go into rut, though I don’t need nearly as much assistance as Shiro does.”

“You realize you’re repeating yourself, yes?” Lotor’s lips quirked upward into a smirk, moving to lean against the counter, watching what Hunk was doing, not even thinking to offer any assistance. “You said that before the whole...test, thing.”

“Ah, I did? Sorry, I couldn’t remember,” the human laughed, setting the knife down and moving to wash his hands. “Yeah, we -- we help each other. And well, you’re sort of stuck with us. I haven’t talked to the others yet, but I’m sure they’ll be on board with helping should you want us to. If not, well, I doubt they’d complain too much about that, either. But...in the end, if we help or not, is up to you. And how much we help is up to you as well. If you want us to keep you company and nothing else, then we’ll respect that. However, you need to know what you want -- or at least what you’re comfortable with, before the time itself gets here. If you change your mind while you’re in heat, well, we won’t know if it’s truly what you want or just the lowered inhibitions, you know?”

“That’s...that’s quite understandable. However, that won’t be necessary. Despite your intentions, I still highly doubt anyone would be willing to assist--”

“I would.” The words were out before Hunk had even realized it. “I mean -- I mean it, I would be more than willing to help you. I remember vividly seeing what Shiro went through and...well, I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy, let alone an ally, not when I can do something about it. And despite what you might think, I don’t think you’re an awful guy. Done awful things? Definitely. But honestly, I doubt you had much of a choice in the matter, not in the end. You did what you were taught, you did what you had to. Now, you see things for how they are more and...well, we’ll see how that goes. But, that’s neither here nor there. I would be more than willing to assist you, if you’d allow it.”

The expression on Lotor’s face might have been comical at another time. As it was, he looked gobsmacked, his jaw slack and mouth open just a tad as he continued watching Hunk. “You would -- you don’t know me all that well, yet you’d be willing to help me with such a personal matter?”

“Of course. That’s what we do -- we help people. It’s not just about going and fighting warships all the time, there’s more to it than that.” Hunk smiled, drying his hands and moving to stand directly in front of Lotor, looking up the short distance between them. “You might not be under Galra rule anymore, but you still need help...and if I can give it, and get to know the real Lotor that’s beneath the mask you’re always wearing...well, who am I to do otherwise?”

"...I don't know that you'd want to see what's under my mask, as you so put it," Lotor said softly, finally letting out a breath and relaxing. "I've never been free to do as I wish, when I wish. There was always something guiding me -- my father or otherwise. Even my choice to defy him had to be done so carefully, I don't know if I can be without them."   
  
"You can do it," Hunk was quick to assure, turning the water off and starting to put the vegetables into a pot. "If nothing else, going into heat will teach you all about doing just that. And once you've seen how it is, you can start to learn when to wear your masks...and when not to. All up to you, of course." Moving through, the Yellow Paladin was searching for something -- finding it before opening a jar and adding it to the pot. Broth of some sort, if Lotor was any judge. "And of course, there's other things that we can do to help make this easier for you, with your permission. Where even in the throes of heat, you'll have an easy way of telling us you're uncomfortable with something. Even when you're not in heat, you can do so as well, but it's a very simple system, something...something Shiro taught us."   
  
That peaked Lotor's curiosity like nothing else could, eyebrows raising questioningly at Hunk. "And just what would that be?"   
  
"Safewords." Reaching into a drawer, Hunk pulled out a spoon, a rather large one, moving to stir the contents of the pot while still speaking. "Specifically, the color system, so that we have a very easy way of telling what our partner is or isn't comfortable with. It's based sort of on what colors mean to us as humans, but it's rather simple to remember regardless, I think." He paused, looking back at Lotor with a smile before turning so he could split his attention between the warming pot and the Omega. "Green means everything is okay. You're safe, you're comfortable, you're happy. Yellow means caution. Things are approaching levels you're not comfortable with, it's time to slow down, to talk, to make sure everything is alright. Then there's red. Red means stop, right then, right there, everything stops and we talk to see what's going on, make sure everything is okay. So if I or anyone else asks what your color is...that's what we mean, not like your skin or anything else. Does that make sense?"   
  
Lips pulled down into a frown before the exiled Prince nodded. "Yeah, it does, actually. Like. It's simple enough to remember, even in the midst of things, and...easier to say a color than say, what's going on."   
  
"Mmhm, exactly, especially since...depending on what else you're doing with your partner, being controlled might happen, with consent given ahead of time. Letting someone else take control can be quite liberating to some -- but having safewords gives them a way to stop the scene the moment it goes from liberating to terrifying or even approaching it. I know...I enjoy such things myself, giving up control, but I prefer to give my partner whatever they might need on a given day. Right now, with Shiro being in heat, he needs someone else to take control, and so I give that to him. I take control, I give him what he wants, what he needs, but we make sure it's still within previously discussed boundaries, especially with him in heat."   
  
"That's...quite ingenious, really. I hadn't -- I've never heard of such a thing before, it's always been more...Omegas are made to be used." Lotor didn't even try to stop himself -- he'd already mentioned this before, after all. No point in hiding it -- or the faint fear there was within of being used in such a way.   
  
Hunk sighed, carefully setting the stirring spoon to the side before moving closer to Lotor, close enough to touch but not doing so just yet. "Can I give you a hug?"   
  
"I -- what?" The confusion was apparent, Lotor wasn't expecting that at all, fear spiking in the pit of his stomach.   
  
"Can I give you a hug? You're worried, afraid, and I would rather ask than just assume that it's alright to do so and risk scaring you. Hugs can be very comforting but, if you don't want one, I understand completely."   
  
Hunk looked earnest enough...but... "I -- Okay. Just -- just a quick one, if you don't mind." Lotor already felt his heart trying to move up his throat, but he ignored it for the moment. Hugs weren't terrifying in any way, they weren't.   
  
Even when they were.   
  
Arms opening wide, Hunk scooped Lotor into a hug, holding him firmly against his chest, a hand moving to rub against his back. "It's going to be alright. Any control over you is something only you can give here. No one will take that from you unless your life is in danger, and that won't be something that comes from being in heat. No one will force you to do anything, no one. Not me, not Keith, not Kolivan, not anyone. If they do, they have to answer to me for it, and I'm not kidding at all about that." His voice certainly seemed to back his words up, the tone serious as could be, and Lotor found himself almost crumpling against the shorter human.   
  
"I -- I understand. No one will treat me like -- like a Galran Omega." Lotor made certain to add 'Galran' instead of just saying Omega, given human Omegas seemed to be treated differently. But if this was what it was like to be human? He would enjoy it. Arms reached up to wrap around Hunk, letting himself lean into the hug, giving as good as he got, laying his chin on Hunk's shoulder. "Does this mean you're setting yourself up to be my Alpha?" The tone now was gentle, almost teasing.   
  
"For the moment, maybe," Hunk's voice didn't hold that same teasing quality. "Every Omega deserves to have an Alpha on their side, and I'm the one here. I won't let you face things alone. If you wish to find yourself a different Alpha once you've recovered from your heat, that's perfectly fine, I understand. I won't begrudge you that, but...well. Someone has to keep an eye on you, yeah?"

"You say that as if I'm a child," Lotor laughed -- a genuine laugh even as he remained holding onto Hunk. "I haven't been a child in millennia, but this...this certainly makes me feel like one. And I do appreciate this. I really do. It's...it's not exactly comforting knowing that I won't have full control over myself," he admitted softly, taking a breath.

"Like I said, it can be liberating, but that doesn't make it any less frightening the first time it happens. Granted, I can only speak of being submissive rather than being in heat, but it's still scary the first time. But then...if you're with the right person, Alpha or not, it's not so scary anymore. I promise, I'll do everything I can to help you, to make this as painless and enjoyable as possible." Hunk gave one more squeeze before loosening his hold on Lotor, not pulling away but giving the Omega plenty of room to do so if he wished.

Lotor took only a moment before doing so, somewhat reluctantly. "I understand. Thank you. I just...wish my heat wasn't what was causing things to change," he admitted, voice soft. "Not that I've ever really sought out company of that nature, but it would be better to...well." He cleared his throat, his cheeks darkening slightly. He really did feel like a child...!

"Well, give me a little bit to finish making this soup, and we can easily go relax and...well, have some pre-heat explorations, if you would like?" Smiling, Hunk went back to stirring the contents of the pot. "We don't have to, but it might help make things a bit more...bearable, when the time comes. For both of us. If nothing else, we can talk some more and just see what you're comfortable with, what I'm comfortable with, and go from there."

Doing his best to ignore just how his body seemed to perk at the suggestion, Lotor nodded. "That would be -- that would be acceptable. Thank you." Unable to contain his curiosity, he moved so that he could look at what Hunk was making, taking in a breath to smell it. "What exactly  _ are  _ you making?"

"Oh, it's a specialty of mine when Shiro goes into heat," Hunk said, almost absently as he reached to add spices of some sort to the pot. "I don't know if it really has a name proper because I had to improvise with the things we've found out here, since it's nothing like what we have access to back on Earth, but it's essentially a vegetable soup. We don't have any fresh meat on hand, and even if we did, I don't know if Shiro could really tolerate it. It's easy enough to make large batches and preserve it, though, so it's the perfect thing to make when I have a little bit of time. Makes for great snacks as well, whenever we're too occupied to really make anything." Smiling, he used his unoccupied hand to reach up and get a bowl, scooping out some of the heated broth into it before passing it to Lotor. "Here, have a taste, let me know what you think. I'll probably make more for later as well, if you like it."

There was a moment of hesitation as Lotor blinked, staring at the bowl before taking it, bringing it to his lips to sip at the broth. The flavors washing over his tongue were unexpected, a combination he never would have expected together, but not unpleasant. If anything... "This is exquisite! Nothing like what I've tasted before, for certain." Lotor licked his lips, carefully setting the bowl aside as Hunk moved the pot off of the burner it had been sitting on, stirring even as he got two more bowls down -- one large, one the same size as the one he'd handed to Lotor.

"Well, given the spices and vegetables we get come from different planets, they haven't had much reason to be combined quite like this before now," Hunk laughed, scooping more into Lotor's bowl as well as the other small bowl before putting the rest of it into the large bowl, putting a lid on it before pressing buttons that were on the lid -- Alteans had amazing preservation technology, after all. "Still, I like to think I do rather well all things considered. I mean, there's so many things here that we didn't have access to on Earth because, well, Earth. Things are different and strange and wonderful out here and I love it but it makes things hard sometimes because you expect one flavor or texture and it ends up being something different entirely."

"I can only imagine," Lotor said with a smirk, taking the bowl once more, as well as an offered spoon from Hunk, before taking another sip of the soup -- this time, with the space vegetables inside. "I don't know how I would do if I was limited to a smaller selection of things. We've -- well, the Galra -- we always took what we needed from various places, but we aren't as...inventive as you are. Perhaps that's another strength to the human race."

Putting the large bowl of soup away, Hunk raised an eyebrow at Lotor, taking his own bowl and leading the exiled Prince to the dining table, sitting down before digging in. "Another strength? I wasn't aware you thought so highly of us," he added, his tone amused and curious all in one.

"Well, given the time I've spent here in the Castle of Lions, I've been able to see you all as something more than merely enemies," Lotor stated, not padding his words at all as he continued to sip at the soup. "Seeing how you take care of your leader, despite the fact he's an Omega -- how you all treat Omegas, how you've persevered in a war that wasn't yours to begin with, how quickly you have all adapted to these changes... It really is quite admirable. I'm not certain the Galra could do that, even if we wanted to. There's only so much change anyone can take, especially with a race as old as ours, and with how long many of us live to be."

"Interesting," Hunk hummed, falling silent as he continued to eat, digging in and enjoying what was there -- but more importantly, replenishing his strength. He was going to need it, after all. "But yeah, on top of being easy, this is high in calories, to help keep everyone's strength up, keep us from being completely useless outside of sex. It's really useful."

"That's something, at least," Lotor mused, falling silent to finish the bowl off quickly. After all -- they now had a plan of what they were going to do. Even if Lotor wasn't exactly sure of himself, he had agreed to it. Thus, it didn't take long before they were both finished with their soup, taking the bowls and setting them in the dishwasher before making their way to Lotor's quarters.


	3. Chapter 3

Stepping into the room, Lotor let out a sigh, gesturing towards the single chair in the room while he himself went to sit on the bed, looking almost as awkward as he felt in that moment. For the second time that day, he was sitting in his quarters with Hunk, with the Alpha trying to comfort him, but this time...the implication of something more was there, which was reassuring in a way while also making it all the more awkward.   
  
Hunk watched for a long moment before taking the seat, moving it and turning so he was looking straight at Lotor, leaning forward but otherwise looking much more relaxed than Lotor did. "Alright, so, it's...probably going to be awkward no matter what, but let's just go ahead and dive in and get started talking about things, yeah?" Smiling, he took in a breath, before, "Do you know what sorts of things you enjoy? What you don't enjoy? Or even things you just, y'know, wanna try?"   
  
"I hadn't given it much thought," Lotor said slowly, letting out a soft breath before leaning forward, resting his arms on his legs. "I know I've had ample time to do such things, but I haven't had that strong a desire? I mean, of course there's been an itch to scratch, but it wasn't often I could find a partner I felt comfortable with. There were always those who wanted me dead, after all, or to use me to get at my Father."   
  
Humming softly, the Yellow Paladin nodded. "Yeah, I can get that, I think. Not that I've had that problem exactly, but...I can definitely see how it's a problem. Mm. Is there anything you'd want to try, then? Or avoid?"   
  
"Anything remotely degrading. Anything involving bathrooms. I don't -- I really don't want to be treated like an animal, I want to be treated as a person. A person with feelings and wants and not just something to be used and discarded." Lotor's voice grew rougher as he spoke, eyes narrowing, which left Hunk quick to raise his hands in front of him.   
  
"That's fine, that's fine. You are your own person, and what happens in the bathroom, stays in the bathroom. The only thing I'd want to do there would be to help you bathe, if you wanted. Nothing more than that." He scooted the chair closer, putting a hand gently on Lotor's thigh. "I'm here to help you, not make fun of you or anything else. If you don't want something, then we avoid it, it's as simple as that."   
  
"Even if that something is what my body wants anyway?" Lotor's voice was soft -- rough still, but soft, barely audible to Hunk's ears.   
  
"Even that. If you tell me no, then I'll leave you be. I said it before, and I'll say it again. I'm not going to force myself upon you. None of us will." Hunk's voice was crystal clear, slightly louder than usual without being a full blown yell. "Your body will desire things, people, but that doesn't mean you have to do a damn thing. You'll feel better if you do, but it's still your choice in the end. Not ours. That's why it's so important for us to talk now, before your body makes decisions without your wanting."   
  
Lotor closed his eyes, sighing and nodding. "Right, I know, I know. I'm just..."   
  
"Bitter?" Hunk snorted. "I would be, too, in your shoes. Especially on a castleship surrounded by people you're not entirely sure you can trust? I really don't envy you at all right now. Granted, I've never been an Omega, never been in heat, so I can only talk about what I've seen, not what I've felt, but..." He let out a breath. "I'm sure we can trust you, whether you trust us or not. Otherwise I wouldn't be offering to help. Now, should we just...see what you might like or not like?" Hunk kept his voice gentle, hand still on Lotor's leg as he waited to see, to hear confirmation or denial from the half-Galra Prince.   
  
There was a long moment of silence, a pause before Lotor nodded his head, lifting his head to look up, look Hunk in the eye. "...yeah. Yes. Let's -- let's see where this goes to.”Smiling softly, Hunk moved from the chair over to sit on the bed beside Lotor, leaning in so their faces were close, giving Lotor time to change his mind before pressing his lips against the exiled Prince's, applying pressure but not pushing too much, his lips parted slightly. It was a long moment before Lotor responded, his own lips parting, tongue darting out to brush over Hunk's lips as he let out a soft whimper.   
  
(If anyone else had heard, Lotor would deny the sound to his dying day, but it was just Hunk here, and Hunk seemed to enjoy the sound so he wasn't too bothered by it.)   
  
...Hunk really seemed to enjoy the sound, a soft growl rumbling in the back of his throat as his hands moved to Lotor's waist, grabbing and pulling him closer as his lips parted further, tongue pressing into Lotor's mouth, brushing against his tongue, reveling in the sensations, in how different it felt, noticing that Lotor indeed had small, sharp fangs. That was something worth exploring later. For now, he enjoyed just how soft, how willing Lotor was to be there.   
  
Breaking the kiss, Hunk pulled himself back just slightly, looking at Lotor, gauging his expression, gauging how he appeared, how he felt -- which, as far as Lotor was concerned, he felt great. His cheeks were darkened from the blood rushing to his face, pupils blown wide, and his breathing was a bit heavier than it had been -- but overall, he felt...great. Much better than he'd thought he would.   
  
Thus it was that instead of waiting for Hunk to initiate again, he leaned forward, pressing his lips against Hunk's, his hands moving to gently push at Hunk's vest, wanting it gone -- and it seemed he agreed, arms lowering to let the vest fall down behind him, quickly discarded on the floor. Following suit, Hunk's hands then moved to begin undoing the light armor Lotor was wearing, fingers finding and flipping the switches until it came off, carefully removing it as much as he could without breaking the kiss, this time letting Lotor explore inside his mouth -- which was intoxicating in a way he hadn't expected. Parting for breath again, the armor was quickly discarded, both men moving to pull at the other's shirt at the same moment.   
  
"I don't think this will work," Hunk laughed softly, his voice rough with desire. "Here, let me..." He let go of Lotor's shirt long enough for the Galra to pull it up, over Hunk's head, pulling his headband along with it before Hunk was back at pulling on Lotor's shirt, tugging it up and over Lotor's head, and messing up his hair a little in the process. Of course, this didn't detract from the beauty the exiled Prince had at all -- on the contrary, it just made him look that much more gorgeous, that much more real.   
  
That much more present.   
  
Gently, Hunk went to run his fingers through Lotor's hair, claiming his lips once more with a soft moan, holding onto him as if he was something precious, something that deserved to be cherished.   
  
For the first time since finding out he was an Omega...Lotor was alright with this. Maybe not completely alright, but at the least he wasn't dreading what was to come. Hunk wouldn't turn into an Alpha like he had known them, not with how he had acted, how he was acting now, and all Lotor wanted...   
  
He wanted this, this connection, this trust that he wanted to give freely -- well, not quite freely but to Hunk. Something inside seemed to recognize the man before him as more than just any Alpha.   
  
(He didn't want to think on that, not right now, maybe not ever, but the feeling was there.)   
  
Lotor let his hands roam across Hunk's body, taking in the feel of his chest, his abdomen, feeling small lines across his body that he hadn't really seen before they were on top of one another again. When they broke apart again, this time Lotor leaned forward, down to press a gentle kiss against the side of Hunk's neck, spotting just what it was he'd been feeling.   
  
The young human Alpha had a large, sprawling tattoo over his chest and shoulders, onto his back, the ink appearing to be relatively fresh but not in a style the exiled Prince was familiar with. Of course, now wasn't the time to ask about it, but instead Lotor left more, small kisses along the lines of the ink, moving down until he felt something else, something different along Hunk's skin.   
  
Eyes looked upward for a moment, assessing Hunk's expression before slowly, he pressed his lips against the lines going vertically along his abdomen, something that looked like scarring, but not quite. Whatever it was, it was part of Hunk -- and everything deserved attention. Every last little bit of him, something it appeared Hunk was not expecting, with how wide his eyes were looking down at the half-Galra, hands still in his hair.

“I thought I was supposed to be the one helping you?” Hunk asked, a hint of laughter and something approaching awe in his voice as Lotor didn’t let up on his ministrations.

“You are,” Lotor said, his voice low even as he continued watching Hunk’s face. “I’m merely showing my appreciation.” He stopped what he was doing, lifting himself up once more, fingers moving across Hunk’s skin even now. “Unless you’d rather I didn’t…?”

“No!” Hunk’s voice was louder than he’d meant for it to be, eyes wide, though he was quick to lower his voice, letting go of Lotor’s hair, moving his hands down to gently hold onto the Omega’s arms. “No, that’s not what I meant -- I want you to do what you feel comfortable with. Not -- I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do, that’s all. I know that like, stretch marks aren’t the most beautiful thing out there, so…”

An eyebrow arched, looking over at Hunk. “Stretch marks? Is that what these are?” His fingers moved over the vertical lines, touch feather light as Hunk nodded. “There is nothing shameful in these marks that cover your body. They show that you have lived.”

“Lotor…"

Lotor huffed.” It’s true. You’ve done something, and come out better for it. Even if it was just growing, your body stretching out, you still are better for having moved past it.” As if to emphasize the point, he leaned over and pressed his lips against Hunk’s once more -- this time gentle, almost...lovingly.

This seemed to get through to Hunk, at least partially, as he leaned into Lotor, leaning enough to press the Omega back against the bed -- not pinning him there, but certainly pushing him back to lay there, not breaking the kiss all the while. After a few moments, however, Hunk’s hands moved downward, tugging at Lotor’s pants, wanting to get him completely freed from his clothing. Sharing the sentiment, Lotor moved his feet, kicking off his boots as Hunk figured out how to get Lotor’s pants opened, pushing them down as Lotor lifted his ass to let the material fall to the floor.

Breathing heavily as they broke the kiss, Hunk’s hands moved to undo his own pants, only to find Lotor’s fingers already deftly doing their job, opening the button and pushing the zipper downward, letting gravity do most of the work for him, the pants falling down past Hunk’s waist to pool at his feet -- where he had to awkwardly toe his own shoes off to let the pants free -- leaving them both in their underwear and nothing more.

Leaning back down so he was almost on top of the Galra, Hunk smiled, his face close to Lotor’s. “It’s not too late to back out, if you’re uncomfortable…” His face was kind, smile gentle, but there was a hunger hidden in his eyes -- a hunger that left Lotor feeling more  _ excited  _ than afraid.

“I rather think not,” Lotor snorted. “I might not have been entirely certain before but…” He trailed off, taking in a breath. “I’m  **_very_ ** certain now. Unless  _ you’re  _ uncertain, Alpha?”

There was a pause after that, the smile on Hunk’s face fading as he moved to close what distance there was between them, until he was resting fully on top of Lotor, faces less than an inch apart before he spoke. “Once I make up my mind, I don’t change it, Lotor. That should be one of the first things you learn about me.” As soon as that had been said, he closed the gap completely, pressing their lips together, with just a hint of teeth nipping at the Omega, one hand reaching down into Lotor’s underwear -- which looked remarkably  _ normal  _ for all that he was Galra, was royalty even if he was exiled.

Lotor let out a soft moan into the kiss as Hunk's fingers brushed against his cock -- which was erect and outside of its sheath. It felt different, compared to a human's dick -- human of any dynamic. The top almost felt as if it had something --  _ several  _ somethings -- poking out of it, little fleshy tendrils that hardened along with his dick but weren't painful at all. Just a bit odd. Lifting his ass once more, Hunk used his free hand to tug Lotor's underwear down, quickly tossing them aside and taking in Lotor in his natural state.

Hunk had been right -- there were little fleshy bits on the tip of Lotor's dick, though there weren't many, and they still weren't hard exactly. The tip was a darker purple than the rest of him -- and the rest of his dick matched his own skin color, though there was a patch of white hair at the base of it, and it looked as if Lotor's dick actually retracted into his body from how the skin and hair appeared. He'd have to ask later -- right now, he had other matters to take care of.

Matters which included seeing just  _ what  _ made the exiled Prince tick, what made him happy, and excited. Which, so far, Hunk seemed to be doing rather well with that, given how flushed Lotor's face was, how shaky his breaths came. Bracing himself against the mattress, the hand that had been around Lotor's dick went to gently surround it, feeling bumps along the underside that he hadn't quite seen in his quick observation of the length, giving a slow, gentle stroke up and down.

That...that, Lotor  _ definitely  _ seemed to enjoy, given how his eyes slid shut, letting out a soft, low moan as his hips bucked upwards into Hunk's hand, the moans giving way to whimpering as the Alpha moved to press his arm down against Lotor's hip. "Ah, ah, none of that. We're taking this slow, Lotor. How else will I learn what you like?"

"Well, I definitely like  _ that _ ," Lotor's voice was rough, opening his eyes to almost glare at the Paladin, who in turn only laughed. "I don't think there's  **anyone** who doesn't like having their dick touched, though."

Hunk laughed again, shaking his head. "Does that mean you want me to stop?"

"Please -- don't stop. No, I don't want you to stop," Lotor was very quick to retort there, pressing his hips upward again, straining against the arm holding him down. Giving a nod and a smile, Hunk nodded, squeezing Lotor's dick once more before beginning to pump it in his hand, gradually moving his hand faster along it.

"Good, because I don't want to stop," Hunk said, his voice low. “I want to show you just how enjoyable this can be, giving yourself over to someone else, enjoying what comes with being an Omega, with being able to give yourself to someone else’s care.” With that, he began to lower himself along Lotor’s body, being careful to keep his hand pumping at Lotor’s dick until he had himself positioned with his body between the half-Galra’s legs, his face resting above Lotor’s crotch area.

Not only did Hunk have a good view of what his hand was doing, he was able to see -- and  _ smell  _ \-- the slick that was gathering outside of Lotor’s ass, giving visible proof that he was indeed enjoying what was happening. Grinning, Hunk leaned forward, hand stopping what it was doing with Lotor’s dick, letting go entirely and licking along the underside of the dick, in one long, slow motion. That was enough by itself to cause the Omega to let out a low moan, leaning his head back, eyes shut as more slick began to gather between his asscheeks. The hand that had been pumping at Lotor’s dick moved downward, slowly, until a single digit was pressing against Lotor’s entrance, teasing and testing all in one as Hunk licked his way back up to the tip, humming before taking him in his mouth.

While the little barbs at the tip of Lotor’s dick looked like they could cause pain, in fact they only caused a sort of tickling feeling as they hit the roof of Hunk’s mouth and his tongue. Already he could taste the slightly salty taste of precome coming from the slit on top, something that really told Hunk just how good he was doing.

Or how much Lotor was enjoying himself, anyway.

For his part, Lotor wasn’t sure just  _ what  _ to do anymore. He couldn’t think, couldn’t form words with his mouth, all he could do was moan lowly, trying to thrust his hips upward only to be stopped by the strong arm of the man that was driving him wild already. Even the foreign feeling of something pressing against, into his ass didn’t seem to bother him. On the contrary -- it  _ excited  _ him, eager for more, one slender hand moving to gently run through Hunk’s hair, claws carefully brushing against his scalp, being as gentle as he could bring himself to be.

Pulling his head back, letting Lotor’s dick fall from his mouth with a soft ‘pop,’ Hunk smiled, laughing softly. “Are you ready for this?” His finger continued to play along with Lotor’s asshole, pressing in gently but never actually going in, watching Lotor’s expression.

“Ancients, yes,” Lotor groaned, lifting his head to look down at Hunk, eyes glazed over slightly. “Please, Alpha?”

“Your wish is my command.” Hunk didn’t wait any longer, pressing his middle finger in past Lotor’s entrance, sliding in almost effortlessly due to the slick that was accumulating there.  _ ‘It’s almost like he’s already  _ **_started_ ** _ his heat,’ _ the Alpha thought absently before shaking his head, wriggling the finger inside more, watching Lotor’s face all the while. His mouth went back to gently lapping at the Omega’s dick, taking him in once more as he slowly moved the finger in and out, in and out, not seeming to be in any sort of rush.

Because really, he  _ wasn’t _ . This was important to do, to make sure Lotor was comfortable, and that sort of thing  **_couldn’t_ ** be rushed.

It really didn’t hurt that the sounds coming from Lotor were simply  _ divine _ , that Hunk felt deep inside he could listen to this all the time and he would never tire of it.

Curling his finger upward as he took Lotor in his mouth as deep as he could go, he couldn’t help but hum in amusement at the looks being cast down at him, with Lotor’s hand in his hair, tugging at him, trying to pull him up.

Groaning, Lotor glared down at Hunk, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before -- "Damnit, Hunk,  _ fuck  _ me already."   
  
Snorting, Hunk pulled himself back once more, until he could talk again. "No, Lotor, you need more  _ preparation _ , I don't want to hurt you, I could seriously hurt you if I don't prep right." Carefully, or as carefully as he could, Hunk added his index finger, pressing in gently past the slick into and past the ring of muscles that was Lotor’s asshole.   
  
Hissing softly and laying back against the bed, Lotor calmed. "...okay you have a point." He didn’t sound happy about that, but luckily for him, it wasn’t long at all before he adjusted to two fingers inside of him, letting out a low moan.

“That’s it, you’re doing so well for me, opening up so nice and wide,” Hunk praised, causing Lotor’s face to darken slightly, skin a darker purple around his cheekbones. “I’m going to add another finger, alright? I want to be  _ sure  _ you’re ready for me, I don’t want to hurt you.”

Taking in a deep breath, Lotor nodded. “Do it -- and you’re repeating yourself, you already said that.”

“Hmm, so I did,” Hunk smiled, ring finger pressing in to join the other two fingers inside of the Omega, causing Lotor to tense for a long moment before he reminded himself he needed to  _ relax _ . “That doesn’t make it any less true. I just...need to show, need to prove I can take care of you. And that includes keeping you safe while you’re in my care.”

Laying back once more, Lotor whimpered softly, needily. “I am safe.”  _ ‘I feel safer than I have in decaphoebes,’ _ he added silently to himself, even as his back wanted to arch upward, prevented by the arm pinning his hips down. “I think I can --  **_ooooh_ ** \-- can handle a little pain,” he added, the hand in Hunk’s hair tightening a bit, pulling lightly enough to show what he wanted without actually harming the Paladin.

Laughing, Hunk spread the fingers inside of Lotor, making a scissoring motion between the three fingers, spreading Lotor open further as best as he could, gently lapping at the tip of the Omega’s dick. “Impatient much? I’m sure I can handle that,” he added, the hand that had been holding Lotor down moving away, moving towards Hunk’s body until he was removing his underwear with one hand.

Hunk’s dick, as Lotor quickly saw, was certainly rather large -- large enough it gave him a moment’s pause because, how could  _ that  _ fit inside him? But, rather than voice the thought aloud, he trusted in Hunk, trusted in his preparations. Even if Lotor wasn’t fingered open as wide as he might need, there was plenty of slick pooling beneath him. Hopefully that would help make the experience easier on the Omega’s ass.

Out came Hunk’s fingers, pulled out gently before grabbing his own dick and lining it up with the hole it wanted to penetrate, rubbing the smoother head of his cock against the hole, teasing for a moment, before, “Ready?” Hunk’s gaze was gentle as he looked down at Lotor, smiling, waiting for confirmation before moving any further.

This was all about Lotor’s comfort, after all. Not Hunk’s.

Giving it the briefest of thoughts, Lotor nodded, his hand moving from Hunk’s hair to the side of his face, fingers gently brushing against Hunk’s cheek before he let his hand fall to the side, palm down against the blanket beneath them. “Ready as I’ll ever be, Alpha.” His voice was soft and low, eyes halfway shut even as he smiled upward. “Now, please?”

Lotor needn’t have asked, the moment Hunk heard ‘ready’ from Lotor’s lips, he began gently pushing in, taking time to let Lotor adjust as the Omega moaned, low and loud. The length within him stretched him like nothing else before ever had, leaving behind a gentle burn, a burn that wasn’t quite pain but wasn’t entirely pleasurable.

Not at first, at least.

It wasn’t long at all before Lotor was a whimpering, moaning mess beneath Hunk, who’s hands moved along Lotor’s sides as he slowly thrusted into the Omega, trying to do everything he could to make sure everything felt nice, felt good and pleasurable and as far from pain and bad as possible. "That's it -- let it go, baby," Hunk's voice was low, rumbling softly as he continued moving, his hands moving back down to hold onto Lotor's hips, the grip light for the time being, just enough to hold and keep moving within the Omega. "I've got you, I won't let you fall, I won't let you get hurt, I promise."

That seemed to be the last thing he needed to fully fall into the moment, eyes falling shut as Lotor relaxed beneath the Alpha, rocking his hips against the cock that was making him feel nice, so nice. He wanted more,  _ so much more _ \--  **faster** ,  **_harder_ ** , but all he could get out were whimpers and the rocking of his hips, long fingers moving to grasp at Hunk's wrist and tugging gently, as if that would get him what he wanted.

The nonverbal communication, instinctual as it was, seemed to be more than enough to get the message across, Hunk's grip tightening just a bit as he leaned down, pulling Lotor's hips up before moving faster, harder -- not too much, but more so than he had been, getting deeper and deeper within the exiled Prince, wanting nothing more than to push in as far as he could do, loving the connection they seemed to share in that moment.

Almost as if they were literally meant to be together, meant to be doing this, meant for more than just helping scratch an enjoyable, but irritating biological itch.

It wasn't too long, sadly, before Hunk could feel his knot begin to swell, making his movements grow erratic, his grip firmer as Lotor cried out, climaxing hard, his semen pooling on his stomach, moving up to his chest as he was leaned back by Hunk lifting his hips further before stilling, his knot carefully  _ not  _ inside Lotor's ass, Hunk's dick pumping his ass full of semen.

The two breathed heavily, Lotor's expression relaxed moreso than it had been the entire time he'd been with the Paladins on the castleship, face flushed as he lifted his hands up to gently stroke the sides of Hunk's face. In contrast, Hunk seemed a bit tense, even after coming down from his climax, moving his hands off of Lotor's hips so that he was pressing down into the bed instead of Lotor, eyes shut for a long, long moment until he felt Lotor's hands on his face.

"Are you alright, Lotor?" Eyes opening and looking down, Hunk gave a small smile, his breath still shaking.

"I'm..." Lotor trailed off, taking a deep breath before nodding. "I'm well. I think. I'm feeling a bit...I don't know how to put it? But it's not  **_bad_ ** by any means."

Slowly, Hunk pulled himself back, out of Lotor before rolling to the side, careful not to lay on the Omega, lightly laying his arm over the come covered waist and not minding the mess at all as Lotor's dick seemed to be retracting into its sheath. "Good. That's very good, I -- I never want you to feel bad after, well, this." He vaguely gestured to the two of them. "Whether you're in heat or not, it should be enjoyable. Something you can do, you can trust the other person with, knowing they'll catch you. That's -- that's what it means to let someone else take care of you, from what we've learned. From what we've experienced."

Lotor was silent as he lay there, feeling a growing warmth in his chest as he lay there in his own mess, absorbing the warmth Hunk offered -- both physical and emotional. "That -- that sounds wonderful, honestly." He wanted to say more, but part of him was afraid to do so.

Because how odd would it sound for him to tell Hunk, the Yellow Paladin, whom he had barely spoken with before today, that he felt so  **_right_ ** when they were together?


	4. Chapter 4

The next few hours passed in a blur for Lotor -- not because he  _ did  _ much, because really, he didn't, but because there was a light haze in his mind, as if he was sick despite the fact he certainly was  **not** . It had hit almost immediately after he'd had his.... **_encounter_ ** with Hunk, and seemed to be growing worse and worse rather than going away, no matter what he did.

Of course, the two of them had taken the time to clean off -- together, because it was quicker that way, and Hunk seemed slightly worried, which baffled Lotor in all honesty. He wasn't used to people worrying about him at all, after all. Not even his generals had worried as openly or as much as Hunk had -- but the Alpha had excused himself to see to his own preparations and check on Shiro, despite the fact the other Omega was almost through his own heat.

That left Lotor with almost completely free reign of the castleship, feeling a need within to begin gathering things, needing to have comforting items, comforting  _ smells  _ around him. Seeing that the other Paladins had more or less made themselves scarce, he felt it was perfectly acceptable to gather the things he saw left in the open, so to speak.

The common rooms were open, after all. It wasn't as if he was going through their personal belongings.

However, the downside to what he was doing was he didn't exactly know who anything belonged  _ to _ . Hunk's scent, he recognized -- though there was only one thing of his he found, what looked to be a pillow on the couch that didn't match the decor, something perhaps he liked to take naps on? There were a couple of other scents he couldn't quite place, but they felt comforting -- non threatening, not Alpha, certainly not another Omega -- so he took those things as well, those things being a jacket and a hoodie of sorts, blue and green. Wandering around the castleship didn't bring much else into view that he felt he wanted or could take, so he took himself back to his quarters, arranging the things he'd found on his bed.

Nesting. He was  _ nesting _ . It took him until then to realize what it was he was doing -- and what it meant. Nesting was typical Omega behavior, that much he knew, but it typically happened shortly before or occasionally after one's heat kicked in. Things were moving much faster than he had anticipated, and his heart thudded in his chest as he backed away from his bed.

Hunk. He needed to go find Hunk, find the gentle Alpha, and let him know. Of course, they knew it was coming -- but Lotor had hoped he had a few days, maybe even a couple of weeks before it actually started. Something told him he didn't even have a single day before he would be lost to what his body wanted, what his body needed. His footsteps were hurried as he moved down the hall, moved towards the kitchen where he hoped Hunk would be waiting, would be preparing much as he had been before.

Spying the Yellow Paladin there, he opened his mouth, leaning against the doorframe, his voice low. "Alpha...?"

Hunk took in a deep, but quick breath, turning from the stove where once again he had soup cooking, inhaling Lotor's scent and knowing what was happening without it needing to be said. "Oh, Lotor..." He sounded worried, but also resigned -- as if he'd known, but hadn't wanted to believe. Turning the heat down on the stove, he moved quickly over to the Omega, taking him in his arms and leading him to sit. "Lotor, talk to me, are you okay?"

Snorting, Lotor nodded. "I'm -- well, not fine, but I think things are starting already, Alpha. I -- I started nesting. I don't, I don't think I have enough for a nest, though." He didn't know how he knew that, but he did -- things felt off, like there wasn't enough there, wasn't enough to make him feel safe in his own room -- that was part of why he'd sought Hunk out, after all, wasn't it?

Letting out a sigh, Hunk nodded. "Alright, you're still coherent, at least," he said softly, to himself as much as anything else. "Lotor -- I need to know, if I can't be with you, are you alright with the rest of the pack coming to help you? If you're not, I need to know now, so I can tell them, so they know -- we will honor your wishes regarding this, but I need to know for sure."

Pausing, Lotor thought. Or, well, he tried to think. It was hard to think with Hunk so close, smelling so good, with the haze that was settling more and more over his mind. Still, he managed to do so, nodding. "...yes. If they are comfortable, Alpha, I would welcome it."

"Alright, I'm going to help you back to your quarters and go get some things for you, and finish this soup, okay? I won't take long, Lotor." Hunk kept his voice as gentle as he could, even as he looked worried. It was obvious how quickly things were progressing -- and that was alarming. But he didn't want to cause Lotor any fright, any worry, so he kept it to himself, instead leaning down so he could scoop Lotor up in his arms. The Omega instinctively curled up against him, pressing his face against Hunk's neck as they quickly moved back down the hallway -- much quicker than Lotor had managed on his own. Lotor should have found that distressing, but instead he enjoyed the closeness he was feeling against Hunk's chest, enjoying the warmth surrounding him, the scent that filled his nostrils until they reached his quarters and Hunk was setting him down on his bed.

Before he could protest, a quick kiss was pressed against his forehead and Hunk was gone. Huffing slightly, Lotor stood, the room spinning slightly, and pulled all the things off of his bed, as if that would make it take more room, make the nest itself better, more spread out than the tiny mattress allowed -- though  _ that  _ was quickly pulled off as well, to help make more softness to be on rather than the hard floor. He didn't have much in the way of blankets or pillows, after all, so he would have to make do.

Absently, he noted the setup he'd stumbled upon that morning (was it really just that morning?) was quite practical in that regard, having so much over a nice, large area. He would need to look into doing that next time.

If there  **_was_ ** a next time while he was there.

By the time he'd done what he could, however, his Alpha -- Hunk -- had returned, carrying what looked to be more bedding and some clothing, all of it bearing his scent. Lotor almost instantly relaxed, both seeing Hunk and the things he had brought, quickly taking the items and arranging them while Hunk looked on with a small, sad smile.

"You should have been able to learn about this in a better way," he said softly, almost inaudible to Lotor's hearing as he began to remove some of his clothing. He kept his pants on, and thus underwear, but passed over his vest and t-shirt for Lotor to add to the growing nest of softness -- which Lotor took without even thinking, arranging things so they were in what  _ felt  _ like the best arrangement before finally,  **_finally_ ** relaxing.

“If there’s really a better way to learn about these things, I don’t want to know,” Lotor said, finally responding to Hunk without turning to look at him, looking the most at ease he’d been as he toed off his boots and went to lay in the nest, taking in a deep breath and closing his eyes. “A supportive Alpha, a nice room, a comfortable nest...this feels nice. A bit...warm, but nice.” Rolling over, keeping his eyes shut, he began removing his own clothing, the feeling of his armor and the cloth beneath it, tossing them away without a care.

Hunk watched quietly as Lotor made himself comfortable, not startled this time by the muscle and mostly smooth skin revealed to be beneath all the armor. There were scars here and there along Lotor’s body, but nothing large -- nothing that even  _ remotely  _ detracted from his beauty. He could feel his own cock stirring in his pants seeing Lotor laying languidly in his nest, cock exposed and ass practically glistening with slick when he moved just the right way.

“I’m going to come join you, okay, Lotor?” Hunk kept his voice soft, calm as he could manage as he moved closer -- both to try and keep Lotor feeling calm and in some amount of control, and to keep himself under control, wanting to continue being the supportive and gentle Alpha for his Omega’s first heat --  _ this  _ Omega’s first heat, he reminded himself. Lotor was  **_not_ ** his. No matter how much he might wish otherwise, how much his body felt otherwise, how much he itched to just hold Lotor close and refuse to let go.

“Alpha,  _ please _ .” There was a pleading tone in Lotor’s voice -- something Hunk had never heard before and wasn’t quite sure he wanted to hear again, not in this way, not with Lotor comfortable, but unsure. His gaze was unfocused as he looked at Hunk, slender fingers reaching out, grasping for him as the larger man joined him, still wearing his pants for the time being.

“It’s okay, Lotor, it’s okay. I’m here.” He wasted no time in wrapping his hand around Lotor’s dick, gently rubbing it as his face went to the crook of Lotor’s neck, gently nuzzling there, rubbing his scent on the Omega, marking him temporarily. “I’m here for you. You can let go. I’ll take care of you, let me take care of you. Let me be your Alpha, let me take you through this.”

Lotor’s whimpering and nodding was enough of an answer for Hunk, who tightened his grip on Lotor’s cock, pumping it quickly as he turned his head so that he and the exiled Prince were face to face, pressing their lips together with a soft, almost gentle growl, teeth quickly moving to nip at Lotor’s lower lip as the one hand continued pumping against the Omega’s cock.

His other hand, meanwhile, moved down to press against the slick that was starting to pool beneath him, taking care with a single finger to press in against the ring of muscle that was almost begging to be filled. Almost instantly, Hunk’s finger slid in, meeting no resistance as Lotor bucked his hips upward in response. Adding a second finger only made Lotor’s breathing heavier, more desperate, a loud whine coming from his throat.

“Alpha, please,  **_please_ ** fill me, please  _ fuck  _ me,  **please…** !” Lotor’s voice was desperate, filled with need and desire and Hunk couldn’t find it in him to even want to draw this out any further. Thus, pulling his hands back, he gave a quick peck on the lips before removing his pants and his underwear, tossing them to the side quickly before leaning over Lotor, lining himself up as if he’d done so many times before instead of just the once. His hands moved to pin Lotor’s hips down before he pressed in -- and  _ God _ , if before had felt wonderful, this time felt even better, Lotor’s heated walls clenching down against his dick, as if trying to suck him in, make sure he didn’t leave.

Hunk didn’t  _ want  _ to leave.

Instead of taking time to think about that, however, he began rocking against the Omega, not even remaining gentle now -- gentle was the last thing Lotor needed, he could tell, given the small whimpers of delight that were coming from the exiled Prince beneath him as he pounded into that ass, rocking quickly, furiously, as if his life depended on fucking Lotor to within an inch of his life. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, along with the moaning spilling from Lotor’s mouth, growing louder and louder as Hunk found and continued to hit his prostate, intent on making this first orgasm of Lotor’s first heat as intense as he could make it.

Given how dark Lotor’s face was, how much he was sweating already, Hunk thought he was going to succeed on that count.

When Lotor came, only a few moments later, he screamed, hands clawing into the nest beneath them, back arched as his semen spurted out onto his stomach, pooling in his belly button as Hunk thrusted a few more times before joining him in bliss.

It takes a few moments for Hunk to catch his breath before he reaches up with one hand, pushing Lotor’s hair back gently. “You feeling alright, Lotor? Everything okay?”

“If you stop to ask if I’m okay every time we do something, it’s going to grow old, fast, Hunk,” Lotor’s voice was rough, but pleased, flashing a bit of fang as he smiled up at Hunk. “I still feel rather hot, but not as...desperate as I was.”

“Good, that’s good. That’s how it should be.” Hunk smiled, rolling to the side so he could rub himself against the side of Lotor’s face, his neck again. “It’s going to get more intense from here, though. But as much as I can be, I will be here for you, Lotor -- and we won’t leave you alone, alright?”

There was quiet as Lotor nodded, rolling himself over slightly so he could hold onto Hunk, nuzzling against the top of his head. “...alright.”

* * *

Time passed in a blur for Lotor, alternating between periods of building flames within followed by Hunk dousing the flames and curling up with him, keeping him safe and sated. As long as Hunk was there, Lotor wasn’t worried, wasn’t afraid. That should have scared the Omega, but it felt  _ right _ . Felt as if he had found his mate, the one who would be there for him for all time.

Thus, when he awoke and found himself alone in his nest, he whimpered, raising his head and looking about for signs of where Hunk had gone. Instead of finding that, he found the Black Paladin, sitting in a pair of comfortable pants and nothing more in the chair that remained at Lotor’s desk, watching with a soft expression.

“...Paladin?” His voice was questioning, almost fearful, and Shiro’s heart felt for his fellow Omega. “Where is A-- where is Hunk?”

“He’ll be back in a little bit -- he needed to go check on some things, I volunteered to come and sit in here with you.” Shiro kept his voice as gentle as he could, remaining in the chair though he did lean forward a bit. “I can ask one of the others if you’d prefer someone else in here -- but we thought, it might be less threatening if you had another Omega in here with you until he came back. He’s getting food and drink for the two of you, and checking on a project of his, making sure it’s still going. But he will be back, I promise, Lotor.”

The whimpering coming from Lotor’s throat only grew louder as he laid back, curling up into a ball, not reassured at all by Shiro’s words. Shiro took a moment, chewing on his lip before moving down to the nest, knees kneeling just at the edge before reaching over to gently touch Lotor’s arm. “Lotor, listen, it will be alright. Your Alpha will return to you. Can I come down there, can I enter your nest, and comfort you?” His words were deliberate, considerate as he waited for a response from Lotor. It took a long moment before the other Omega gently nodded his head and Shiro moved down, taking Lotor into his arms and holding him against his chest, one hand reaching up to stroke through Lotor’s hair, fingers working out the tangles as gently as he could manage.

“Everything will be okay. I know it feels scary, everything feels like the world is falling apart, but it  _ will  _ be alright. Hunk has helped me through my heats before, and he’ll help you through yours. That’s why he’s not here, he wants to do everything he can to help you, and that includes keeping you hydrated and fed. You probably feel really weak right now, between not eating and being unable to control your desires, your needs. I know how it is. But we will all help you as much as you’ll let us.” Shiro took deep, calming breaths as he spoke, trying to help keep Lotor grounded. Because, really, Shiro did know exactly how Lotor felt. He went through it with each heat that passed without Keith’s presence, but it always turned out okay.

He just needed to convey that feeling to Lotor -- make sure he knew that this was a safe place, that they would all help him. That he was effectively one of them now. Because just from what he’d seen -- and the others as well -- it was obvious that Hunk had found his mate. He didn’t realize it himself, but it seemed  _ Lotor  _ did, if only on an instinctual level.

Life was funny that way, after all. Sometimes it was painfully obvious who was meant to be with who and there was absolutely no doubt -- but sometimes, sometimes it took a complicated situation to force them together, to open their eyes to the possibility.

Hunk thought this was temporary, that much was obvious to Shiro. Lotor himself might think the same, but the way he was still whimpering in Shiro’s arms told him it wasn’t the case. “I’ve got you, Lotor. I’ve got you. You’re  **_safe_ ** . None of us will leave you alone. You’re pack, you’re safe, you have us.”

Lotor didn’t reply, though the words did have an effect -- Lotor’s body relaxing against Shiro’s, his head turning so that he was nuzzling against the Black Paladin’s neck, taking in deep breaths, taking in the comforting scent that was rolling off of the other Omega. He could feel the Heat building up within him once again, quicker than it had been, quicker and more intense, and he wanted Hunk to be  _ back _ , but nothing he did would bring the Alpha back, so the only thing he could do was cling to Shiro like a lost child.

“Hunk shouldn’t be much longer, now, Lotor. It will be fine. Is there -- do you need me to do anything? I’m not an Alpha, but I can help, if you need it, if you want me to.” There was hesitation in Shiro’s voice -- not because he was reluctant to help Lotor, but because he didn’t want to push too far, didn’t want to risk him falling into a panic despite what had already been said, despite having already agreed to receive help from the other Paladins because he might not feel the same right then -- and Lotor wasn’t in such a state for them to try to push past it, not just yet.

For Lotor’s part, he hesitated a moment before rocking his hips against Shiro, his erection leaking precome already as he rubbed against the material of Shiro’s pants. Smiling, Shiro moved his hands -- both organic and mechanical -- to rest against Lotor’s hips, laughing softly.

“I get the message, Lotor. Don’t worry, I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” His grasp was gentle, pushing the other Omega so that he was pinned to the softness of the nest, but on his back now instead of his side, his cock standing at attention as Shiro gently pushed Lotor’s legs apart so he could fit in between them. Not even hesitating a moment, he leaned down and took Lotor in his mouth, feeling a gentle warmth pooling in his own core as the exiled Prince let out a soft, relieved sigh at the contact. Humming softly, Shiro took in all of Lotor’s dick, pushing past the back of his mouth and going into his throat.

A little known thing about Takashi Shirogane was the fact that the man had no gag reflex to speak of -- which often came in handy when on missions that would otherwise make him sick, or in instances like this when he wanted to give the most pleasure he could in a short amount of time, letting the purple dick rest inside his throat for a few moments as he swallowed before pulling back and taking a breath. Beneath him, Lotor was trying his best to thrust upwards, kept down only by Shiro’s hands, his throat letting out the most desperate sounding moans Shiro could ever recall hearing.

(Granted, he couldn’t remember hearing himself, simply because there were large parts of his heats that blurred together, but that was another story.)

Slowly, he bobbed his head along Lotor’s considerable length, getting close to taking it down his throat a few times before letting it go there, humming when he could, swallowing when he couldn’t, to give the other Omega as much sensation as he could. When the door behind him opened, letting Hunk into the room, he didn’t stop what he was doing. If anything, it seemed to spurn Shiro on more, though Lotor seemed a bit more relaxed, a bit more focused now that Hunk had returned, his gaze moving to follow the Alpha as he moved to the desk, setting down two thermoses and four cups before watching the two Omegas in the nest.

The irony of the situation was not lost on Hunk -- on the contrary, it put a smile on his face, soft and gentle as he moved to join them in the floor. One hand went to gently rest in Shiro’s hair, not grabbing or pushing, just gently praising him without words -- because words weren’t necessary at that point. Not between the two of them. Moving away from Shiro, Hunk rested himself down beside Lotor, carefully putting one arm beneath the half-Galra’s neck, the other caressing the side of his face.

“That’s it, Lotor, just let go. We’ve got you, I’m here, I’m back, I’m sorry I took so long, but look, feel just how good Shiro’s being, taking care of you. Be good for me,  _ please _ ? Relax, let yourself enjoy what he’s offering --  _ that’s  _ it, that’s it, Lotor, let him know how good he’s doing for you, let it out, no one will judge you.” Hunk murmured continuously against the side of Lotor’s face as the Omega arched his back, his moaning growing louder and louder, until it was quickly cut off, sounding almost like it was choked off as he came, the tip of his cock buried deep in Shiro’s throat, who keep it there, taking everything Lotor could give him.

Smiling, Hunk placed a quick kiss to Lotor’s temple, his gaze warm as he watched Shiro pulling his head back, a smile on his face as well. “Got everything, Hunk?” Shiro kept his voice down as he asked, sitting up and watching the pair.

“Mmhm, for now. I’ll let you know when I need to make another kitchen run, but I’ve got enough there for probably half a day at least. Keith should be arriving soon, too, so go see your mate. Reassure him that I didn’t break you,” Hunk laughed, holding onto Lotor lightly as he felt like he was floating between the orgasm he’d just had and the fact that his Alpha -- that  **_Hunk_ ** , had returned.

Giving a small nod, Shiro moved closer, placing a chaste kiss to the top of Hunk’s head and gently placing a hand on top of Lotor’s head. “Alright, you know where we are if you need us. That goes for both of you, we’re here for you, too, Lotor, alright?” Shiro could only laugh at the soft, contented sounds coming from Lotor’s throat as he moved to the edge of the makeshift nest before standing, feet almost silent as he quickly exited the room, leaving the pair alone.

“My wonderful Omega,” Hunk whispered his thoughts aloud, moving so that he was holding onto Lotor a bit more securely, his lips against the top of Lotor’s head, muffling the words as the Omega dozed off once more, content in the Paladin’s embrace.


	5. Chapter 5

With no one certain how long Lotor’s heat would last, Allura had made the decision to take the Castleship somewhere out of the way, away from the fighting that was always going on in the universe, minimizing the chances that they would be called upon to fight. The chance was always there, but hiding as they were (loathe as they were to admit they were doing so) made it that much less likely to happen.

Carefully helping Lotor move towards the bathroom attached to his bedroom, Hunk was grateful for that as they entered the third day. He was almost certain that the exiled Prince would not have fared so well on his own, but he didn’t exactly voice that thought. It was hard to voice  _ any  _ thoughts, they were too tired to do so. The brunt of taking care of Lotor had fallen to Hunk, which was the way they’d both wanted it in all honesty. Shiro had helped a few times, and the night before had ended up with Lance and Pidge staying with Lotor while Hunk got a few hours of sleep.

But now he was only slightly better rested than Lotor was, who looked absolutely  _ awful _ . Thus the decision was made to get up and shower, getting them both cleaned and refreshed, to at least make things somewhat better. There wasn’t much they could do about the nesting situation, but their  **bodies** , Hunk could at least take care of.

Alteans were a resourceful race, and it showed in their building of even simple things like a bathroom -- there was a button that pressed into the shower wall and out would come a small place to sit, still beneath the spray of the water. Hunk pulled that out, making sure Lotor was seated before turning the water on. He didn’t know whether Lotor typically preferred hot or cold showers, but with how sweaty he was, and how hot he likely was thanks to his heat, Hunk erred on the side of caution.

As Lotor let out a soft moan, looking up at Hunk as the water hit him, it seemed (to Hunk, at least) that he was right on the money in using the cold water. His eyes seemed clearer, his posture straightening as he stretched to get more of himself under the water. “...Alpha?”

“I’m here, Lotor,” Hunk was quick to sit beside him, knowing the benches could hold more than they appeared to. “It’s okay, we’re just taking a shower, okay? We’ll go right back to your nest after, but you’re -- you’re getting really hot, and it’s dangerous to be too hot for too long.”

There was a moment of quiet, not quite silence, but quiet as Lotor kept his eyes on Hunk, looking confused but more lucid than he had since fairly early on in his heat -- not really completely aware of himself, but more so than he had been, one hand reaching over to grab for Hunk’s arm, fingers moving over the ink that was tattooed there. “...alright. I -- I’m, I’m alright.”

“Alright -- that’s good. Can you tell me, is it getting worse?” The Alpha did his best to keep calm, to practically exude peace and confidence, wanting to keep Lotor as comfortable as possible -- in all meanings of the word. “I know you haven’t been particularly, well, aware of a lot, but whatever you can tell me will be a big help.”

“It’s -- it’s still building, Alpha.” Lotor’s voice was soft, but he kept watching Hunk, unable to stop his hands from roaming as they sat beneath the cool spray of water. “I’m so hot, I feel like I’m going to-to burn alive from the inside. I-- I  _ need  _ you, Alpha.”

Hunk moved his arm to rest lightly on Lotor’s shoulders, holding him close but not stopping the Omega’s movements, letting him do as he wished. “I’m right here, Lotor. I promise, I’m here. I’ll take care of you.” Lotor whined softly, leading Hunk to move his arm lower, until his hand rested lightly on the Omega’s hip. “Do you want to ride me? Or should I pick you up and take you against the wall?” Hunk kept his voice low, but honest, still wanting to be sure  _ his  _ Omega was kept happy and safe.

Even if Lotor wasn’t  _ actually  _ **his** . There was no way, they were different species entirely. It wasn’t like Shiro and Keith, they, at least, were both partially  _ human _ .

“Take me, please?” He was still whining, but Lotor was able to keep himself verbal at least, hands continuing to move along Hunk’s arms before grabbing hold and tugging, as if that would make the Alpha move faster than he already was, legs moving to push himself up, carefully picking Lotor up as he did so.

“Alright, alright, I’ve got you, Lotor. I’ve got you, just relax, don’t get worked up.” Hunk kept his voice as low as he could, wanting to be a calming presence for the Omega even as he hoisted him up, carefully wrapping Lotor’s legs around his waist, pressing his back to the wall. One hand moved so his fingers could press against Lotor’s ass, pressing in gently, making sure the Omega was ready for him, making sure there wasn’t any preparation needed before pressing in, his cock sliding in effortlessly despite the water falling around them. “God, you’re still nice and open for me, open and slick, feeling  **_so_ ** good and perfect for me.” 

Lotor’s arms moved to rest against Hunk’s shoulders, hands moving to grasp at his hair, pulling Hunk’s face so it rested against Lotor’s chest. “Yes,  _ Ancients _ , Alpha,  **_yes_ ** . Don’t stop, please, please please please don’t stop.” His voice was growing rougher, raspier, almost feral as Hunk pressed into him, the sound of slick skin hitting filling the room as the Alpha pounded him into the wall, careful not to break anything (or Lotor), but the sensation was certainly felt. It wasn’t long at all before Hunk’s knot began to swell, pressing against the outside of Lotor’s hole, but not pressing in -- because he wouldn’t do that, couldn’t do that.

It seemed Lotor had other plans.

“Knot me, Alpha,  _ please… _ !”

The plea from the Omega didn’t go unnoticed, but Hunk still didn’t press in, instead growling softly, his grip on Lotor tightening slightly. “You’re in  _ heat _ , Lotor, you don’t know what you’re asking for.” Oh, how he wanted to do as Lotor asked -- wanted to plunge himself into the heat the Omega provided, locking them together for a long while in which they would enjoy each other’s company, knowing that they were truly mated.

But it was not meant to be. His knot swelled, remaining outside of Lotor as he came -- in time for a blaring alarm to go off, the sound irritating enough that Lotor went to cover his ears as Hunk caught his breath against the Omega’s chest.

“Voltron…” Hunk’s voice was still growly, his grip still tight as he took a long, long moment to pull himself out, his cock still hard as he carefully set Lotor down on the bench. “Of course we would be needed,” he leaned down, looking carefully at Lotor’s face, leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the lips -- a kiss which was gently returned. “Lotor, how would you feel about me sending Keith in here to stay with you? Can you give me a color?”

There was a soft whine in the back of Lotor’s throat even as he nodded. “Green, Alpha. Go...defend the universe. I’ll be waiting for you.” He slouched down on the bench, against the wall, a small smile on his face as he watched Hunk hastily dry himself off before darting out of the room.

 

* * *

Keith wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting when he entered the room that had been given to Lotor. Part of him expected trickery. However, the way the others acted had him questioning that part of him. Even Kolivan didn’t seem to be as wary as expected -- though the Leader of the Blade was certainly wary, he wasn’t at the levels he typically was of the unknown.

As if he knew something that Keith hadn’t witnessed yet.

The others spoke of Lotor as if he was a new member of the pack -- as if he was quite possibly Hunk’s mate -- but Keith wasn’t  _ convinced  _ just yet. Hunk had always been a very caring Alpha, this was a large part of why Keith trusted Hunk to take care of Shiro when he himself couldn’t do so, why he would actually have Hunk tap in to help when it got to be too much for Keith himself. 

That was just the type of Alpha Hunk was. Not exactly typical Alpha behavior overall, but still an Alpha Keith would trust with his mate -- who fought alongside his mate in forming Voltron, and trying to overthrow the Galra Empire. Hunk had looked worried, but determined, everything was fine there. Just fine.

Upon actually entering the room, however, he didn’t spy the Omega anywhere. There was a nest, and the bathroom door was open with the sound of running water hitting his ears. Taking off his boots, he took a breath before entering the bathroom, still mostly dressed, expecting to see Lotor just taking a shower or some such, thinking that the Omega was on the downward slope of his heat.

What he hadn’t expected to see was Lotor slumped down against the wall, sitting on a bench that Keith didn’t remember seeing before in any of the bathrooms on the castleship, legs pulled up against his chest with come slowly dripping out of his ass as the water hit his body. His body was shaking -- Keith assumed it was from the cold, quickly moving to turn the water temperature up before discarding most of his clothing and sitting beside Lotor.

“Hey, Lotor? Are you -- are you okay?” Keith wasn’t quite sure what to do with the exiled Prince, but he gently put a hand on the Omega’s forearm, which only brought a whine out of Lotor’s throat, followed by the (until now) diluted scent of an Omega in heat -- a scent that was quickly growing thicker and thicker in the air as Keith blocked the water, keeping it from washing it away. 

Keith moved his free hand up in front of his nose out of habit, keeping from inhaling too much himself, knowing it wouldn’t be a good thing for  _ anyone  _ involved if he got a big whiff of it right then. He had to keep as calm as he could, see if he could figure out what was going on with Lotor -- because it couldn’t be just the heat. If that had been all, he would’ve had his arms filled with Omega upon entering the bathroom. There was something more at play, and Keith was going to figure it out.

“Lotor, hey, hey, can you focus on me for a moment?” Keith kept his voice as light as he could, sounding almost like he was coaxing a scared animal rather than talking to a person, gently shaking Lotor’s arm. “Hunk is going to be back, he had to go take care of things -- but I’m here right now. Can you -- can you tell me what’s going on?” As the Omega stopped shaking, Keith moved to grab a washcloth, putting soap on it and gently, carefully washing at Lotor’s skin, taking shallow breaths when he needed to use both hands.

“Don’t -- don’t know,” Lotor managed to choke out, closing his eyes even as he leaned into the gentle touches, swallowing. “Need...need  _ Alpha _ .”

The way Lotor had said the last send the cogs in Keith’s mind into overdrive, almost instantly realizing what had happened -- and also dreading it. “...I’m an Alpha,” he said, keeping his voice low, touches gentle.

“No!  _ Alpha _ . Need -- need  **_my_ ** _ Alpha _ .” There was a whining tone to Lotor’s voice, whining with almost the faintest hint of a growl towards the end -- and the fear the Omega was feeling was just as visible to Keith as the white of his hair. “Gone, he’s -- he’s gone.”

Dropping the cloth, Keith quickly pulled Lotor into his arms, ignoring the difference in their sizes, or the fact that his own underwear was surely soaked by now, instead needing to calm the distraught Omega before him. “Shh, hey, no, it’s alright. Hunk will be back, I promise. He’s not going to let himself get hurt, but he had to go out there, okay? Will you let me help you until he returns? Help get you dried off, and anything else you need?”

Lotor trembled for a moment in Keith’s arms before nodding, keeping his gaze lowered, almost seeming fascinated by his abdomen. He moved to push himself up, only to find Keith’s arms keeping him in place as the Paladin stood, turning off the water. “Easy, I’ve got you. Let me take care of you.” His grip tightened slightly as Lotor turned his head, pressing his face into the crook of the Alpha’s neck and taking a deep breath. His grip loosened enough to grab a large towel, draping it over the Omega’s frame, tucking it in like a blanket before moving into the bedroom once more.

As carefully as he could, he crouched down, setting Lotor down in the nest, gently toweling off his skin, taking care to get his hair dried while remaining silent.

Lotor couldn’t stop shaking.

Keith sighed, taking a moment to remove his wet boxers and drying himself off before curling up beside Lotor in the nest. Normally he wouldn't have laid there with the Omega without express permission, but...Lotor obviously needed something. "Everything will be fine, I promise. Hunk will come back." He kept his voice low and calming even as his dick began to stir, unable to ignore the appealing scent of an Omega in heat any longer.   
  
Even if his body wanted something more, he wouldn't take it. Not without Lotor at least being somewhat calmed.   
  
Instead, he pressed his chest against Lotor's back, arm draping over the Omega's waist and hand reaching for his dick, which was still as hard as it had been when Keith initially entered the rooms. As his fingers gently wrapped about Lotor's dick, the Omega startled slightly. Keith paused, taking in a slow breath. "Is this alright? I -- I know I'm not your Alpha. I'm not Hunk. But I want -- I need to help you. I can't make him come back quicker, but I can help you with this."    
  
Lotor was silent, carefully breathing, still shaking slightly. Swallowing, Keith was about to pull his hand away only for Lotor to thrust slowly into it. "Please," his voice was strangled despite absolutely nothing being anywhere near his neck. "Don't stop. I-I  _ need-- _ "   
  
"Shh, I've got you," Keith kept his voice low, his hand grasping tighter around Lotor's length, pumping away almost languidly, giving him the friction he seemed to be craving. In response, however, Lotor rocked against his hand, his body trembling less and less the more he got into it, his breathing coming harder. "I've got you, Lotor, you're part of our pack, and pack sticks together. We won't leave you to suffer alone ever again." The words weren't  _ quite  _ passionate, but they were meant with every fibre of his being. When Lotor began pressing himself back more than forward, pressing his ass against Keith's dick, it wasn't entirely unexpected -- nor was it entirely unwelcome. Still, Keith kept his hand pumping along Lotor's length, even as he moved to prop himself up on the opposite elbow, reaching down between the Omega's ass cheeks, pressing against the now clean ass only to find his fingers quickly coated in slick.   
  
There was no doubt that Lotor was beyond ready for someone to take him.   
  
Pulling his hands back, Keith moved to get the Omega so that his ass was pointed up, upper body pressed against the material beneath them, whimpering softly. Lining himself up, Keith pressed in as gently as he could manage, eyes sliding shut from just how much Lotor's ass clung to him, as if it was starving and needed everything it could get.   
  
Which, really, wasn't a bad analogy for how heat worked.   
  
Leaning forward, he bottomed out almost immediately, waiting only the briefest of moments before pulling his hips back, hands firm on Lotor's, keeping him in place as Keith thrusted into him. It wasn't long at all before the thrusts became harder, faster, the Alpha filled with the need to release, to bring Lotor to release, grunting as Lotor let out a low moan beneath him, climaxing onto the nest as Keith continued on and on, pushing against Lotor's prostate repeatedly, and when Keith's knot began to inflate, it took what control he had to only let it bump against the rim of Lotor's ass.   
  
And when he came, he cried out, still holding onto Lotor's hips, breathing heavily before pulling himself out, moving to lay beside the Omega and pulling him close, both men now well and truly spent. (For the moment.)   
  
"Are you -- are you alright, Lotor? I didn't hurt you or anything, did I?" Keith frowned as Lotor began laughing. It was soft, but unmistakable.   
  
"You haven't hurt me," Lotor's voice was rough, barely audible as he looked straight at Keith's chest. "I -- I worry. That's all."   
  
Pulling Lotor close, closer than he had been, Keith rested a chin atop Lotor's head. "You're in heat. Any Omega qualities you have are taking over your very being. It's only natural to worry about Hunk while he's away, but I swear he will come back."   
  
Lotor was silent for a long moment before, "Why do you care?"   
  
"Because you belong with Hunk. Hunk is pack, so you are as well by extension. I don't like you, but I won't let you suffer needlessly, especially like this." One hand reached up to gently stroke Lotor’s hair. “You don’t have to like me, either, but I’m still going to be here for you if you need me when Hunk’s gone.”

“What do you  _ mean _ , belong with him?”

As Keith opened his mouth to respond, the door to Lotor’s quarters opened, revealing Hunk -- still in his armor aside from his helmet -- with eyes almost immediately locking onto Lotor. Lotor himself couldn’t see it -- but his body almost immediately relaxed, simply from being able to smell him, sense him perhaps.

Keith looked for all the world like he had seen something unexpected, something that would terrify a normal person. What Keith himself felt was certainly not fear -- but something that approached a healthy respect, arms quickly moving away from Lotor as he moved to get out of the nest.

Hunk looked like an Alpha on a mission, and Keith was not about to get in the way of that.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art for this chapter provided by [spicystrawberrysart](http://spicystrawberrysart.tumblr.com/post/174978174165/so-i-was-apart-of-the-voltronkinkbang-and-heres%22) on tumblr! Go check it out yo!

Hunk was grateful for the fact that Lotor’s quarters were fairly close to Yellow’s hangar. He was also grateful for the fact he had thought ahead and brought his armor to Lotor’s quarters just in case it was needed, so he ran while fastening some of the last parts of the armor in place, entering the hangar to Yellow lowering her head for him to enter her maw, to get to the cockpit, quickly sitting as he got in there.

“Alright, team, you know the drill. We have to take care of this fleet before they get to the planet -- or the castleship.” Shiro’s voice was as calm as ever over the comms, calm but full of authority, as much as any Alpha. Hunk let himself take reassurance from that, even as a sense of restlessness began to build in the back of his mind.

Restlessness and worry. He had nothing to worry about beyond the normal, but this felt  _ different _ . Shaking his head, Hunk did what he often did going into battle -- focusing instead on what he needed to do, namely protecting the rest of the team. While the others were great at attacking on their own, he was best suited for defending, a responsibility he took very seriously, not only as an Alpha, but as a teammate and friend.

Focus in place, he placed his hands on the controls and they took off, leaving the hangar and flying into open space, already seeing the fleet of Galra ships approaching. Blue and Red were already engaging in combat, taking out some of the smaller ships while Green hung back slightly. Black was only just arriving as Yellow did, though they were quick to form a jaw blade and move towards one of the larger ships, slashing through the hull and making a long line along the side, leaving destruction in its wake.

Flying forward into the chaos that was sure to come, Yellow used their tail cannon, picking off smaller ships as they passed, not moving as fast as the other Lions, but fast enough to keep from being hit while dealing significant amounts of damage, moving towards one of the larger ships as well. Once they were close, they, too, formed a mouth blade, going alongside the ship they were beside, moving slower than Black had but causing more damage in one go for that, managing to get away just before the ship exploded.

Hunk felt a pang of guilt in his chest at the lives lost, but pushed that feeling aside as well. He couldn’t stop now, couldn’t hesitate, couldn’t let the team down.

Couldn’t let his pack down.

As that thought flickered across his mind, it wandered to Lotor, who was left back on the castleship, in heat and needing assistance. And while Hunk knew Keith would be honorable, would be good and help Lotor, and that Lotor himself had said he was fine -- he couldn’t help but shift in his seat, feeling himself begin to tremble with worry -- worry and fear.

He was distracted enough that a rather hard blow came from one of the Galra ships, enough to startle Hunk and force him to focus once more, to push past the trembling that was starting to take his body.

“You alright?” Pidge’s voice came over the comms, worried as Green flew closer to Yellow, tail cannon firing at the ships as they tried to help Yellow.

“I’m fine -- sorry, just, got distracted.” Hunk’s voice shook a little, but his grip on Yellow’s controls tightened as they moved, attacking a bit more aggressively than they had been before.

“Dude, it’s not like you to get distracted,” Lance’s voice came over the comms, Red expertly avoiding being shot and moving so that two of the smaller Galra ships took each other out while trying to get them. “Normally you get scared, but not distracted. Lotor really has made a difference, hasn’t he?”

“I -- wh-what are you talking about?” Hunk’s voice squeaked for a moment before returning to normal, “I’m helping him, not him helping me, guys. And I’m not distracted.”

“Paladins! Leave Hunk alone, the sooner we finish this, the sooner we can get him back to his mate.” Shiro’s voice was calm -- but stern. “Now, on me. It’s time to form Voltron.”

Letting out an irritated sigh, Hunk maneuvered Yellow until they were in formation with the others, moving in sync to form the large robot to finish off the fleet. As their minds joined together, forming the low level telepathic link they shared, something stood out not only to Hunk, but the rest of the Paladins as well.

There were not just five consciousnesses present. This, in and of itself wasn’t entirely new, not since Shiro and Keith had been reunited but not both piloting Lions. The five Paladins were joined to one another, and another, weaker strand split off from Shiro going back towards the castleship, to Keith.

But now, there was one that led from Hunk as well, back to the castleship.

To Lotor.

Hunk himself felt nothing but shock at that, while the others seemed less shocked by the development and more...concerned.

Still, the formation went as flawlessly as it ever did, and the awareness dimmed to what was necessary for combat. The remains of the Galra fleet were before them and they needed to finish the job.

“Hunk, form cannon.” Shiro’s voice guided him as it always did, his hand already reaching for the bayard to put it in the slot made for it, turning it like a key to form the large shoulder cannon, the consoles before him lighting up to show where to strike -- and where they would strike with multiple shots being fired all at once.

It was something that they’d done so many times before, but it always felt different each time. There was always a mixed feeling of relief and regret -- relief that they lived, regret that others had to die -- but this time the relief was much stronger, especially for Hunk, who’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking. He was quick to pull back from the bond, pull back from the others, to break the connection so that he could race back towards the castleship.

Unfortunately for him, while the pressing majority of the fleet were gone, there were still a few smaller ships left, and when Yellow broke off, they almost ran straight into the smaller ships. While Hunk was startled, the ships had enough time to open fire on Yellow -- the blows landing and shaking Hunk inside a bit. Before he could summon the cannon once more, however, shots came from behind -- with Blue, Red, and Green all coming from above and attacking the ships.

“Go back to the castleship,” Shiro came over the comms once more, this time his voice soft while the others continued to attack. “We’ve got this, we’ll be done before you’re situated in the hangar. Keith was feeling worried earlier, but I think things are fine now…”

Hunk was confused for a moment before he remembered -- there was always a low level bond between mates -- one that strengthened after they claimed one another, that often shared emotions and occasionally surface thoughts between a pair.

If Keith had been worried…

It was beyond time to get back to Lotor’s quarters on the ship, Yellow turning in midair and darting across towards the hangar, pushing faster than they had pushed before, Hunk feeling his heart hammering in his chest. He wanted -- needed to be back there, needed to see Lotor for himself, make sure the Omega was alright and cared for and that Keith wasn’t being awkward and Keith.

Not that Keith was a bad Alpha -- he was just awkward, never quite sure what to do. It was part of what had led to him and Shiro having issues concerning being mates, being on the same page at all until they were forcibly separated and forced to deal with their own needs and desires.

Keith wasn’t bad -- but he would not be good to leave with Lotor. The longer it took for Hunk to get himself out of the cockpit,  the worse he felt, and the more he needed to be with Lotor -- to talk to Lotor and try and figure things out, in spite of Lotor’s heat. To assure his heart that everything was fine -- everything will be fine.

The door opened, revealing Keith and Lotor laying in Lotor’s nest, both dried and nude, looking not quite clean but comfortable at least. The smell of sex assaulted his nose, causing Hunk’s eyes to widen, locking on Lotor’s back, Lotor himself seeming to relax in Keith’s hold.

Keith looked up with his own eyes widening, before the light of realization entered his gaze, arms moving away from the Omega, making certain to not jostle him too hard, making sure Lotor was comfortable as he could be before moving to exit the nest.

Keeping his eyes on Lotor, Hunk didn’t even notice Keith leaving the room. Instead, he moved forward, hands reaching to remove his armor, letting it fall to the floor as he did so, left only in his undersuit and headband as he pulled Lotor into his arms.

“Hey, hey, Lotor, I’m here. I’m back. Talk to me, are you okay?” Hunk’s voice wavered a bit as his hand reached up to stroke the Omega’s hair, calming himself down as Lotor curled up against him.

“Alpha... _ Alpha _ . I’m happy that you’ve returned.” Lotor’s voice was muffled as he pressed his face to Hunk’s chest, breathing in deeply. 

Letting out a breath, Hunk smiled, relaxing and lowering his face until he was nuzzling against the top of Lotor’s head. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, we took care of things, we’re safe. You’re safe. I have you, I’m not going anywhere. Are you hungry? Thirsty?”

Lotor shook his head, his arms moving to hold onto Hunk. “No, I just...need  _ you _ , Alpha.” If the words alone didn’t convey the need the Omega was feeling in that moment, then the way he clung to Hunk surely did -- tight, almost as if afraid he would be gone if Lotor didn’t hang on.

Given Hunk was only just resisting holding onto Lotor just as tightly, the message came through loud and clear. “I’m here, Lotor.” He nuzzled against the top of Lotor’s head for a few silent moments, before speaking again. “I’m sorry I’ve been so blind. I’m sorry, things could have gone so badly. If -- if I’d realized…”

“...realized, what?” Lotor’s voice was confused, but coherent, causing Hunk to let out a relieved sigh. “What are you talking about?”

Hunk fell silent once more, breathing deeply before pulling his face back, hand moving to tilt Lotor’s head up to look at him. “Lotor, you’re my mate. I should not have left you, not without -- not without knowing that, without doing what I could to make sure you would be alright.”

Lotor’s face scrunched up in confusion, eyes narrowing as he looked up at Hunk, frowning. “You’ve done  _ everything  _ possible to keep me comfortable and safe. You even ensured I wouldn’t be alone. What else--”

“I didn’t claim you,” Hunk quickly interrupted. “I didn’t...I didn’t claim you, mark you for my own, ensure that your body and mind knew that I was here for you. It’s -- it’s hard to explain, but when a pair find each other, there’s, there’s a thing they do that reinforces the bond between them. There is a bond between us, one that isn’t present with the others.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Alpha.” The Omega’s voice was disbelieving even as his chest clenched. This couldn’t be possible -- it couldn’t! He was a hybrid, and Hunk was human. It simply wasn’t  **possible** . “There is no ‘bond’ between us.” Still, Lotor didn’t try to move away, was still nestled comfortably against Hunk’s body, completely and utterly relaxed.

Smiling, Hunk shook his head. “It’s not ridiculous. Have you noticed you keep calling me Alpha? And not my name? That...that should have been the first clue, really. Even in the worst of his heat, Shiro has never called me that.” The Alpha’s hand moved to gently card through Lotor’s hair once again as he continued speaking, trying to be as soothing as possible. “And...given the whole team saw the proof of it. Well, sorta saw. It’s hard to explain, but like. When we form Voltron, we sorta link up together. It’s a part of it, we all have to be of the same mind, the same purpose. And while the Lions come together, we are one for a long moment. We can all see, or I guess sense is a better word for it, the link between Shiro and Keith. It’s noticeable. Today...today there was a link from me leading back to the castleship.”

Lotor was silent, frowning still as he tucked his head up underneath Hunk’s chin. Letting himself feel smaller for a bit was actually relaxing, actually pleasant, something he hadn’t anticipated enjoying as much as he is -- and it almost serves to bring the point Hunk was making home. “And...you’re certain it couldn’t mean anyone else?”

“I certainly didn’t have a connection with  _ anyone  _ before today happened. Whereas I’ve spent much of the past few days with you...which is more than enough to strengthen a bond to noticable proportions, I’d think.” He laughed, still playing with Lotor’s hair. “But it’s not solidified enough that we can be separated for long. It’s at that awkward stage in between.”

Staring at Hunk’s collarbone, Lotor was quiet a moment, before, “Then how do we...solidify it? What is involved? Is there a ritual or some sort of task that needs to be done?”

Chuckling, Hunk shook his head, his chin gently moving against Lotor’s head. “Nothing that complicated. It’s...mostly instinct, from what I’ve gathered. An instinct I can feel tugging at me, telling me what to do, but I -- I want to be sure you’re on board first. Because it will possibly be painful.”

“Alpha, I’ve been having sex almost  _ constantly  _ for  **how** many days now? I think I’ve passed the point of caring about discomfort.” Lotor scrunched his face, which in turn tickled Hunk’s collarbone, drawing another soft laugh from the man. “If -- if it will prevent the horrible feeling I had before, while you were gone, then let us do it.”

A soft growl formed in the back of Hunk’s throat -- rumbling but not angry. Almost as if he was pleased, but possessive. “I need to peel this undersuit off, then. I want you, Lotor. I  _ need  _ you.” His voice only emphasized the desperation he was feeling -- the desperation Lotor himself could feel, though now he questioned how much of it was his own and how much of it came from the Alpha.

Thus, it took no time at all for slender hands to reach up behind the Alpha to tug down at the zipper in the back of his undersuit, tugging down gently, exposing inked tawny skin, fingers reaching beneath the fabric to tease and touch and take in what he could, pushing the zipper further down until it was at Hunk’s ass -- until Hunk would be able to pull it off of himself easily.

“Then  _ take  _ me, Alpha. Make me  **yours** .”

He didn’t need any more incentive than that, pulling his arms back, out of the sleeves before holding onto Lotor once more, pulling the Omega up so that he could press their lips together, the kiss hungry and full of desire. Hunk’s hands moved down the smoothness of Lotor’s back, enjoying the feeling even as he felt the occasional scar, his tongue pressing forward to enter Lotor’s mouth with a soft growl, causing Lotor to moan into the kiss, his eyes sliding shut as he grabbed at Hunk’s clothing, tugging it downward, wanting it completely out of the way, wanting it  **_gone_ ** .

Hunk was more than willing to oblige on that, pulling back slightly, just enough to press the undersuit down so that he could kick it off, rolling onto his back and grabbing at Lotor, bodily lifting him and setting him on top of him, which both startled and pleased Lotor, even as their cocks rubbed against each other, both hard and eager, precome already dripping from the end of Hunk’s.

Quite pleased with his position, Lotor leaned forward, his hair parting and falling forward over his shoulders, framing his face as he gently rocked his hips against Hunk’s, the Alpha’s hands grasping hold of Lotor’s hips, covering them nicely as their dicks rubbed together over and over, precome smearing on their stomachs. Eventually, as Lotor rocked himself forward, Hunk pulled, gently, moving so that Lotor moved up the Alpha’s body, his cock springing up behind him once he was past it.

It didn’t take a genius to know what Hunk wanted -- and Lotor was in the mood to give it to him, heat or no heat. One hand reached back, fingers wrapping around Hunk’s cock until he was holding it steady and leaned it so he could easily press himself down against it, eyes fluttering shut in bliss -- complete with a low moan as he came close to bottoming out. Close, but not quite, not even pausing to adjust before he was bouncing himself up along the length, his hands moving to press against Hunk’s chest, keeping himself upright while Hunk seemed quite content to watch Lotor’s bouncing with a glazed over expression.

“You like the feel of that, don’t you, Alpha?” Lotor’s voice was soft, but oddly confident. “Feeling me taking in that cock of yours, riding it to my heart’s content. You love it, don’t you, love me giving myself pleasure this wa--” He was cut off suddenly as Hunk moved to sit up, not stopped by the weight pressing down against his hips, his chest, his own hands still holding Lotor close as he scootched towards the edge of the nest.

Lotor could feel the hair atop Hunk’s head brushing against the underside of his chin, the skin on the side of his neck as Hunk leaned forward, his nose sniffing along as he pressed a sloppy trail of kisses upward. “Mm, I  **do** like it, but I think you’re not going  _ fast  _ enough. I’ll be sure to fix that real quick.” There was a quick, upward thrust as the Alpha held onto Lotor, pressing him close and making sure he was being straddled comfortably for the both of them before quickly biting down on the flesh on the side of the Omega’s neck, hard enough to break the skin, drawing blood. Lotor didn’t even notice the pain, didn’t notice that there was a trickle of saliva and blood against his skin.

What he  _ did  _ notice, was the shock of pleasure-pain that ripped through him, coiling in the core of his being and spreading out, feeling almost like an orgasm in and of itself but it wasn’t -- the fact that his dick was still trapped between the two men and wasn’t shooting anything out or softening at all was adequate proof of that. Once he adjusted to that, however -- even started coming down from the shock, his face trapped in an expression of bliss, he could  **feel** the borderline unnatural heat that had come with his heat fading. Not all at once, not quickly, but it  _ was  _ noticeable. He’d passed the peak at some point without his noticing and it was getting  **_better_ ** .

He was more lucid. He was drawing genuine enjoyment from this moment spent with Hunk, spent with his mate.

Hunk pulled his head back after a moment, licking his lips, trying to keep from being too messy as he looked up at Lotor, kissing carefully along his jaw even as Lotor lowered his head.

He wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, but Hunk...Hunk had said that claiming a mate was mostly instinct.

And Lotor’s instincts were telling him to bite Hunk the way Hunk had bitten him.

So despite the difference in height with Lotor riding Hunk’s cock right then, despite the strange angle, that was what Lotor did, mouth opening wide before biting down on the juncture between Hunk’s neck and shoulder, drawing a gasp out from the Alpha, who’s hands tightened their grip on Lotor’s hips, a low, rough moan spilling from his lips as Lotor held onto him with his teeth, blood rushing from the wound he had made and spilling into his mouth, having shared the deepest physical essence of themselves with one another.

It was like everything fell into place between them, that they filled gaps within one another -- not making one whole person, far from it, but two more rounded people, two people who complimented one another so perfectly well it was undeniable.

Pulling his mouth away from Hunk’s skin, Lotor could feel the heat diminishing further, being replaced by pure desire, placing his hands on Hunk’s shoulders and holding on as he leaned back slightly, hanging off of Hunk’s lap with Hunk holding onto him as he rocked his hips, grinding atop Hunk’s cock.

And that was all it took before Hunk was taking control once more, bodily lifting Lotor up, keeping him on his cock before rolling over to pin the Omega beneath him, pushing his cock in as far as he could in one hard thrust, causing Lotor to cry out. “Quiznak, more,  _ more  _ Hunk….!” Not that Hunk needed much in the way of encouragement, already pulling himself back only to plunge himself right back in, his hair a mess and eyes wide and bright with need and desire. There was no gentleness in the Alpha in that moment, no restraint -- and Lotor was loving it, his legs moving to wrap around Hunk’s waist, holding him close, keeping him from moving too far back.

Hunk didn’t even notice, as focused as he was on filling Lotor over and over again, each thrust harder and faster than the last until he was moving as fast as he could, his head hitting Lotor’s prostate repeatedly almost gleefully, turning Lotor into little more than a whimpering, moaning mess until he came, shooting his load across his stomach and chest -- while Hunk continued on, sweat beading across his forehead, coloring the headband that had, amusingly enough, remained on throughout everything that day, though it didn’t catch all of it, leaving some to fall down onto Lotor, who was now merely a moaning mess, his mouth wide and eyes glazed as he watched Hunk’s movements, until suddenly they started to slow down -- slower and slower but no less hard, and it took the Omega a moment to realize why.

Hunk’s knot was forming.

The light that had taken Hunk’s eyes was fading slightly, going from desperate to worried, his breathing heavy. “Lotor...I’m--”

“Just do it already, Alpha!” The word choice was very deliberate, Lotor’s almost slack form beneath Hunk looking up and watching -- and the uncertainty remained until that last word. As if being reminded of his status, Hunk grasped hold of Lotor’s legs before thrusting forward again, fast and furious until he met resistance, until his knot was pressing against the outside of Lotor’s hole. It took a couple more thrusts after that until Lotor could feel the knot press inside, spreading him further open, filling him so nicely.

And from there, it was only a couple more shallow thrusts before Hunk was spilling himself into Lotor, his body tensing up for a long moment, his back arching before slumping over, hair and the end of his headband falling forward, the latter brushing against Lotor’s chest.

There was almost complete silence in the room after that for several long moments, aside from both men panting to catch their breaths. Then, Hunk carefully moved to lay beside Lotor, rolling the Omega on his side as they were still joined thanks to the knot. There was another few moments of silence, though shorter now, as the two looked at each other until Hunk began laughing softly.

“What’s so funny?” Lotor huffed, his cheeks darkening in embarrassment even as Hunk rested an arm over his side, pulling him close to close what little gap there was between their chests.

“Nothin’, really. Just...here I was, afraid I’d hurt you, and instead you…” Hunk trailed off before sighing. “Well, I still hurt you but, you seemed to enjoy it. You -- you  _ did  _ enjoy it, right?”

Cheeks still darkened, one slender hand reached up to pull Hunk’s headband off, tossing it to the side before carding through his hair. “...of course I enjoyed it. If I hadn’t, I would have found a way to stop you, Alpha or not. I  **_am_ ** strong in my own right, after all.”

“Oh, right -- of course, how silly of me to forget.” His own cheeks flushing, Hunk laughed once more before letting out a yawn. “I don’t know about you but I’m worn out after that. Would my gorgeous Omega care to join me for a nap?”

“You say that as if I have much say in the matter,” Lotor chuckled, arranging himself slightly better, with an arm going to rest beneath Hunk’s head, the other absently rubbing at his back. “It certainly will be a good  _ restful  _ sleep, though.”


	7. Epilogue

Lotor’s heat ended much quicker than it had begun. While they’d thought it would last longer, something about the joining between himself and Hunk had caused it to burn out quicker.  **_Or_ ** , perhaps, the denial Hunk had been so firm in relying on had made it worse at the beginning. No one was certain, truly, given the others had sorted themselves out without anyone going into heat.

Luckily, they weren’t called upon to form Voltron again until after Lotor’s heat had passed and the team as a whole recovered from the ordeal. While Lotor had feared it might lead to strained relations between himself and the Paladins, in the end it was only Allura who was still uncertain of how to interact with him.

And even  _ she  _ came around quicker than he would have expected.

Instead it was as good as what Keith had told him while they were alone. The Paladins were a Pack -- and Pack was family. They didn’t always get along, but they were there for one another, and while he was still fighting to accept it, he was learning.

Even Coran was coming to accept Lotor as one of their own -- though it was distinctly strange how he did so, given Coran was physically much younger than Lotor himself was, yet he tried to be a positive role model.

Alteans were strange, Lotor had about decided. But this was fine. Because he was part Altean, and he was certainly strange.

Still, the universe needed defending, which left Lotor learning where to fill in the gaps with his talents and knowledge. It was after one such battle that a glimmer of an idea formed in his mind, causing him to quickly retreat back to the quarters he now shared with Hunk, lying in wait for his mate to come back from the Yellow Lion’s hangar.

So when Hunk opened the door only to see Lotor smiling sweetly, he wasn’t surprised at all.

Not until the door shut and he was quickly slammed against the door itself, Lotor’s body pressed firmly against his own, pressing a firm, passion-filled kiss to his lips with a low growl. Hunk didn’t flinch at that, though his eyes were wide with shock until he recognized what Lotor was doing.

What Lotor was  _ feeling _ , feeding back into him, almost turning him into a puddle against the door, his arms reaching up on either side of Lotor’s neck with hands clasping behind him. Though both of them were wearing their armor, it only seemed to make them both want more, more of each other and as far as Hunk was concerned?

That was  _ fine  _ by him. It wasn’t as if it would take that long for their armor to be scattered about on the floor anyway, and Hunk was more than ready to let someone else take the reins for a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! This was such a fun thing to write, challenging but fun. I'm almost certain I'm going to revisit this world that's been created for this fic because there's so much more I wanted to tell, to go into, but there just wasn't space in the story for it.
> 
> Thanks again to the [Voltron Kink Bang](https://voltronkinkbang.tumblr.com/) for hosting this event, and [spicystrawberrysart](http://spicystrawberrysart.tumblr.com/post/174978174165/so-i-was-apart-of-the-voltronkinkbang-and-heres) and [shitlorddio-smut](https://shitlorddio-smut.tumblr.com/post/174978200282/last-piece-for-the-voltronkinkbang-event-3%22) for both drawing amazing artwork for this piece, and all three for having patience with me when I took longer than anticipated to complete this.
> 
> Feel free to visit me on [tumblr](http://meythecat.tumblr.com) for shenanigans and other things or just to say hi. :D


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